Dragons of the Sapphire Flame
by Pasta36
Summary: What happens when Gohan is unexpectedly brought to the Avatar world? Will he be a world savior or will he be the most evil dictator the Avatar world has ever seen? I don't own Dragonball Z, Avatar the Last Airbender, or any of the characters. On Hiatus fo
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 ATLA **

**AN: I rewrote chapter one in hopes to change the story.**

**EDIT: I edited the grammar of this chapter. Yeah, I feel pretty daft about it being as bad as it was. However, i do know that it won't be perfect.**

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><p>Son Gohan stood atop of his house as he watched his little Brother, Son Goten, and the son of Bulma and Vegeta, Trunks Briefs, roll around wrestling in the grass. He was wearing his fathers old Gi with no symbols.<p>

He smiled as Goten miraculously managed to get the upper-hand on Trunks. Both boys were wearing gray shorts with blue shirts.

While those two tussled, Chi-Chi was hard at work cooking dinner for the three half-Saiyan children. She enjoyed the peacefulness that the world was now in.

She sighed as she paused in her cooking to reminisce all the wonderful times she had when her deceased husband was alive.

Just then, the boisterous, joyful laughter of her father, the Ox King resounded throughout the area as he came into view down the dirt path that led to their little home in four-thirty-nine East Mountain District.

He was driving in his red convertible with the top down of course with a wide goofy smile plastered on his face.

Gohan was filled with warmth at the sight of his grandfather as he smiled brightly. The Ox King was just about the friendliest, jolly man alive and always visited his family regularly.

Gohan turned his head to the west as he heard the sound of a JetCopter fast approaching filled his ears as a gust of wind generated under the strong force created by the aircraft.

Gohan smiled brighter as he felt the energies of Tien, Krillin, Marron Chautzu, Yamcha, Master Roshi, Puar, Oolong, and Turtle inside.

He turned his his head in the opposite direction he sensed both Vegeta and Bulma fast arriving.

What was it that brung all the Z-Fighters together like this? Gohan's birthday! That's right, the boy who defeated Cell was now fourteen years old. Well… not yet. He still had two more hours to wait until he was fourteen.

It was the first time since the Cell Games that Gohan celebrated on the day of his birth. Which was in the same month his father died.

He jumped from his position on the top of his house to welcome the arrival of his friends.

He jogged over to the JetCopter that had been used for the arrival of the humans and greeted them." Hi guys," he cheered.

Krillin was wearing an orange button-up shirt with pink flamingos on it with a lighter shade orange jean shorts with beach sandals. His wife, 18, wore her simple jeans and blouse with dull shoes. Their daughter, Marron, was covered in a blanket so not much of her was showing.

Roshi wore a green business suite with a darker green tie and alligator shoes. His usual shades were also on his face. Yamcha wore an expensive fur coat that covered whatever he had under it. He also was wearing shades. Tien and Chautzu wore their normal Crane School uniforms.

Oolong wore jeans and a plane white shirt while Puar and Turtle wore no clothes.

"Happy birthday, Gohan!" They all greeted together with grins as they exited with gifts.

"Thanks," Gohan told them as Vegeta and Bulma exited their JetCopter.

The heiress to the Multi-Billion dollar corporation was wearing a stylish red dress with red pump heel. A red purse loosely hung from her arm as she and Vegeta exited the jet. The Prince himself was wearing his normal armor like he was ready for battle.

"Mom, Dad!" Trunks cheered as he ran over to his parents. Ceasing his wrestling match with Goten. The latter also followed.

"Hi, dear." Bulma knelt down to eye level with her son as she ruffled his hair with affection.

"Hi, miss Bulma," Goten happily greeted Bulma. He was slightly afraid of the mighty Prince so he never greeted him. That, plus the fact that Vegeta never responded.

'Gosh, he look so much like Goku more and more every time I see him,' Bulma thought as she ruffled his hair too.

"Hi, Bulma," Gohan greeted." Vegeta," he acknowledged the Saiyan Prince.

"Gn," Vegeta grunted in response. "It's time for you to learn about Saiyan mating," he said with a frown. Curse his luck for accidentally mentioning it to Bulma.

Gohan chuckled nervously as the guys started laughing at him.

Just then, Chi Chi announced that the food would be ready soon and Vegeta took Gohan to the side so they could speak in private while the others mingled together.

The talk was short and got down to business. Vegeta didn't even ask whether or not the half-Saiyan understood what he was talking about.

"Uh, thanks… I guess," Gohan mumbled under his breath as they returned to the others. Just in time to see Chi Chi bring the last tray of food onto the picnic table outside the house.

The Saiyan's stomach's all growled in anticipation while everyone else laughed, baby Marron stuffed her face into the crook of her mom's neck in an attempt to shield herself from the monster noise, eliciting another round of laughter from the guys.

"Alright, allow me to go freshen up while you all wait here," Chichi said.

Vegeta was about to sit and start eating but one glare from Bulma stopped him." Hurry it up, woman," He called after Chi Chi.

Chi Chi ignored the rude statement as she ran to her house. She bathed, changed clothes, styled her hair differently, and exited the house twenty minutes later.

"Alright, let's all dig in." She announced as she took her spot at the table between her father and oldest son.

The Saiyans ate at an alarming rate. Well, if you've never seen them eat it would be considered alarming. But everyone present are at a normal human level. Even #18 who didn't need to eat.

During this extravagant meal that was fit for ten kings, a tall green warrior and a chubby Samurai came down from the their respective places above the earth to attend the party.

"Hi, Mr. Poccolo!" All three Demi-Saiyan children greeted at once. The Namekian Warrior stood tall with his cape blowing from the soft breeze. His demeanor brought a certain level of seriousness to each gathering.

Piccolo nodded with a small smile. It was amazing how a former Demon King could change so drastically as to be friendly to children. Even more amazing is the fact that two of them are the children of his once most hated enemy.

"Yeah, I'm here too," Yajirobe announced as he sat next to Vegeta and began eating from a plate that was there.

Vegeta scoffed at the fat man and decided to test his merit and reached over and took a large chicken from his plate.

"Yeah, it's totally cool with me. You can have it." Yajirobe stuttered with a lopsided smile as Vegeta smirked.

"This is for cutting off my tail." Vegeta told him as he took his entire plate. Causing everyone to sweat-drop. The incident with tail happened nine years ago. Man, Vegeta sure can hold a grudge. He probably would've killed the man if it wasn't for the rest of the Z-Fighters being there. He didn't not kill Yajirobe in fear of them, he just didn't need them pestering him. Even if he did surpass Gohan and become the strongest in the universe. He also wanted to become a different man for the sake of his family.

"Ah man," Krillin started laughing. "You guys should've seen Yajirobe that day. He was like, 'please, sir, I really admire you and would like to join you if it's not too late," he told them with a voice impression of the now irritated man.

Everyone began laughing like mad men. Even Chi Chi had to stifle the urge to laugh, even if it was the second time she had heard the joke.

"Whatever," Yajirobe said indifferently. "Korin sent me to give you these," he tossed a golden bag to Gohan." Senzu beans. There's like a hundred in there. I don't know why the bag is gold so don't ask," Yajirobe said as he turned to his vehicle." Anyways, Bean Daddy out," He announced as he jumped clumsily into his car and took off.

"Bean daddy?" Bulma questioned.

"I think I heard him say that when Cooler attacked earth," Gohan said.

"That's an odd man," Chi Chi said as they got back to eating.

"Here, kid," Piccolo handed an slim cylinder shaped object covered by a silver cloth.

Gohan went to remove it but was stopped by Chi Chi. She reminded him that he had to wait until after they finished eating to open any gifts.

Which came much quicker than anyone expected. Finally, it was time for Gohan to open his presents.

"Here, open this one." Chi. Chi handed him a rectangular shaped gift that was in a black box.

"It's from Chautzu and Tien," he smiled as he opened the box.

Tien stepped forward at the sight of his and Chautzu's gift. "We know you don't train as you use to, so we wanted you to have this if you ever wanted to get back in tip top shape. It's every single technique Chautzu and myself have mastered over time in detailed notes," he told Gohan.

"It covers all forms of Telekenesis and even Psychokinesis too. If your ever studying and want to practice," Chautzu added.

"Thanks guys," he thanked them genuinely happy.

"You're welcome," Tien told him.

Chi Chi handed him another gift, encouraging him to keep going.

"This one's from Yamcha," he announced. It was small and rectangular in shape wrapped in gift-wrap. He opened it; it was an autographed rookie year card from his days as a professional Baseball player." Thanks, Yamcha," he thanked the former scar-faced bandit, albeit a bit forced.

"No problem, kid," Yamcha grinned as he sat back in his chair and closed his eyes, imagining a crowd of girls all around him, completely unaware of the disapproving stares from the other guests.

"Here you go," Chi Chi handed him another gift that was circular in shape.

"This one's from Krillin and eighteen," he said as he opened it. It was a birthday card.

_'Happy Birthday!_

_Gohan, no words can express how grateful we are to you. As a happily married man, I got to tell you that I'd be lonely and unhappy if it wasn't for you saving eighteen at the Cell Games. Thank you._

_Your bro, Krillin.'_

"Awe, thanks Krillin," he told the monk.

"Here's the gift from Piccolo," Chi Chi announced as she handed it to Gohan.

Gohan opened it to discover the Power Pole in it's sheath with string used to keep it strapped to the wielders back.

"It's the Power Pole," he whispered in awe as he held the magical pole in his hands. "Thank you, Mr. Piccolo," he thanked his mentor and first friend.

"Don't sweat it, Kid. Just be sure to take great care of that," the Warrior-type Namek told his former pupil.

Gohan nodded as he took another gift from his mom. "his one is from Master Roshi," he said.

The gift was thin and rectangular in shape." That better not be one of your magazines you dirty old man," Bulma told the Turtle Hermit.

"Can't you give an old man some credit?" Roshi questioned her as he pinched eighteen's bottom.

Eighteen's cheeks turned red from embarrassment as she slapped the lecherous old man into a nearby tree, leaving a perfect indent of him when he fell to the ground.

Gohan began opening it. To his surprise, it was a Turtle School Gi. It was only missing the shoes.

"I didn't know your shoe size." Roshi mumbled from his location on the floor.

"That's ok. Thanks Master Roshi." He said.

"Now, last but not least, the gift from Bulma and family," Chi Chi announced as she handed Gohan a capsule.

Gohan clicked the top and tossed it on the floor a good distance away.

POOF

When the cloud of smoke dissipated, a brand new, sports car was in its place.

"It's the Z-F-O 9001. I designed this one myself," Bulma informed them proudly.

Chi Chi gaped at the sight of such an expensive looking vehicle. It had to be worth a fortune. A fortune that she couldn't possibly repay. "Bulma, we can't af-"

"Nonsense," Bulma interrupted her. "Goku saved my life countless times when we were kids. Gohan saved me on Namek and all of us from Bojack and Cell," She told her.

"Not to mention that he defeated Garlic Junior twice," Piccolo added, being witness to both times.

"Well, I guess we can accept this then," Chi Chi conceded.

"But I can't even drive, Bulma," Gohan told the aquamarine-haired scientist.

"You'll learn when you start working at Capsule Corp!" Bulma said with a smirk.

Gohan looked to his mom for confirmation on this. He's been wanting to work at Capsule Corp for some time now to get more hands on experience in science.

Chi Chi nodded in agreement with a smile, causing Gohan to cheer.

"Woohoo!" Gohan pumped his fist.

Vegeta shot a pointed look to Bulma. "Well?" He questioned. He was ready to leave and she was forgetting something.

"Oh!" She exclaimed. Drawing all eyes to her." I almost forgot, Gohan, here you go," she said, pulling an extra capsule from her purse." It's an empty capsule to hold all your gifts," she told him.

"Thanks," he accepted it as he put all his gifts together in a pile. He clicked the capsule and threw it at the pile, which he noticed was larger from books the Ox King placed there. A poof of smoke later, he picked the capsule up and put it in his sash. He walked over to his new car and capsulized it, before he then put that inside his sash too.

He turned back in time to see everyone gather at the table and sit at it. His Birthday hour was close.

He walked over with a big grin and saw that the cake was on the table. Now it was time to sing the birthday song for him.

However, this happy occasion took a turn for the worst when a red fire suddenly appeared directly in front of Gohan.

The fire broke into four pieces. One larger flame that began to take shape and three more that began to circle his head.

The fire took the shape of a disk. In the center, another flame sparked and became blue. It started to shape into words for all to see. 'The Boy of the Sapphire Flame' was the lettering.

The three smaller flames that were circling his head, linked and went down the length of his body and burned into the grass a message as the flames disappeared.

"What's going on?" Vegeta demanded as he got into a defensive stance in front of Bulma.

Everyone was severely confused on what was happening. There was no energy of an evil being or any being for that matter. But they could still sense Gohan.

The Half-Saiyan was seemingly in a trance as he stared blankly at the disk of fire in front of him. He could hear the calls and shouts of his friends and family as the disk turned into a ring of blue fire and flew above his head.

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><p>King Kai, the watcher of the North Quadrant of the universe was currently doing his job as his greatest pupil, Son Goku furiously trained in his Ascended Super Saiyan transformation.<p>

The short rotund deity of the north noticed some peculiar happening on earth." Goku, come quick. Something is happening on earth," he called over his shoulder.

Goku quickly ceased his training and rushed over to his teacher." What's happening King Kai?" He asked.

"Something's happening to Gohan," the Kai answered worriedly." Place your hand in my shoulder to see," he ordered in the same worried tone.

Goku reverted back to his base form and quickly grabbed hold of the deity to witnessed the chain of events that had transpired and was at a loss of words.

"What's happening to Gohan?" He questioned.

"I don't know Goku," King Kai answered.

The next thing to happen put everyone in even more shocked states. Gohan began to rapidly lose power.

"It's taking his power!" Vegeta exclaimed as he shot a weak Ki blast at the fire.

It was bounced back by some invisible shield and he smacked it away into the distance.

Too bad no one thought of an aerial rescue. But wait, one did. The Nimbus cloud swooped in from the sky and entered the confines of flames and tried to get under Gohan to lift him up and out to safety.

Piccolo lunged forward in attempt to rescue his first friend and the magical cloud because it's attempt to rescue the boy was seemingly futile.

But just then, the ring above Gohan sealed into a disk. Trapping both Gohan and Nimbus before it dropped to the ground, trapping Gohan inside a cylinder of flames.

"Get out of there, Gohan!" A voice shouted from the sky.

Everyone looked up in search for Goku but they couldn't see him. He must've been watching this play out from otherworld.

"Gohan, move!" Goku shouted again.

The boy couldn't even move with his power being sapped. At the rate it was falling, he'd be dead in no time.

However, it stopped falling at just above Chi Chi's in power and stabilized there. He was now weak.

"You've got to get out of there!" Goku shouted again.

However, just as everyone was about to try and help, the flame engulfed Gohan entirely.

"Agh!" Gohan screamed in pain as the blue flames danced on his flesh.

In otherworld, Goku made a critical decision and placed two fingers to his forehead.

"Goku, you can't," King Kai tried to warn him.

Goku didn't listen as he used Instant Transmission to get to earth.

He arrived just feet from Gohan and dived at his son. But as soon as he left the ground, the flame suddenly disappeared with Gohan!

Everyone gasped at the sight of Goku. They didn't expect the earth raised Saiyan to appear. But as fast as he did arrived, he was gone, leaving them just as confused as before.

"Was that Kakarot?" Vegeta questioned.

"Yeah, that was Goku." Yamcha answered.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BABY!?" Chi Chi shrieked before she fainted, hitting the ground with a thud. Apparently, seeing her son disappear and her dead husband appear was enough to make her pass out.

The Z-Fighters all made their way to the spot Gohan had just been standing.

Burned into the ground, was a message:

"He was chosen," Krillin read it aloud.

"Chosen?" Roshi repeated.

"Chosen for what?" Piccolo snarled, angry at the loss of his pupil.

"What happened to Gohan?" Goten questioned with years already streaming down his face.

"Where'd he go, mom?" Trunks asked, tugging on Bulma's arm.

"Why don't we just use the Dragonballs?" Bulma ignored her son's question to ask her own.

Everyone seemed to become calm again. The Dragonballs had to be the solution.

Ten minutes later, the entire group was on the lookout facing the Eternal Dragon, Shenron. There was no need to recite everything that happened to Dende.

The wish for Gohan to come back to life had already been asked for and the mortals were waiting for a response from Shenron.

**"Your wish can not be granted," **the Dragon answered in its booming voice.

"What?!" They all questioned together. Chi Chi fainted again.

"Mighty Shenron, why can you not bring him back to life?" Dende politely asked.

**"Because the one called Gohan does not exist."** Shenron boomed.

"WHAT!?" They all gasped.

"That is preposterous!" Vegeta bellowed." Today is his birthday!" He shouted.

Shenron was contemplating this for several minutes; in fact, nearly ten minutes passed before the wish granting dragon responded:**" The one called Gohan did exist but does not anymore."**

"How is that possible?" Bulma questioned. Her scientific mind searching for an explanation.

**"You ask a lot of questions. Do you have a wish or not?"** Shenron questioned.

"We wish to know what happened to him!" Krillin shouted.

Shenron eyes narrowed, causing the ex monk to shrink back a little. "That wish cannot be granted," the dragon replied. **"It is beyond the knowledge of I, the Eternal Dragon," **Shenron told them.

The heroes all looked to each other in hope that one of them had an idea. They all had saddened faces as they either looked away or held their heads down in shame.

"Then… you can return to your slumber." Dende told the dragon.

**"Farewell," **Shenron said as he returned to his home in the balls.

"Gosh, what are we gonna do you guys?" Krillin sighed in defeat.

Piccolo flew off angrily. The loss of his only pupil was getting to him and he needed to go release this anger somewhere before he killed someone.

Vegeta took Bulma into his arms and ordered Trunks to follow. The lavender-haired half-Saiyan bid farewell to Goten once more before leaving.

Tien and Chautzu both left, followed by Yamcha, and Krillin; the ex-monk needed to shed some tears in private and his wife knew this.

Master Roshi, Eighteen, Marron Puar, Oolong, and Turtle boarded the JetCopter that belonged to the old hermit before flying off.

The Ox King was left with his second grandson and his unconscious daughter on the Lookout with Popo and Dende trying to help get her awake. The big man couldn't help but cry like Goten. Even Dende shed tears.

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><p>In otherworld, King Kai and Goku were rushing to tell the bad news to the Grand Kai.<p>

Goku rushed into the older Kai's chambers without warning, startling the man before running up to him.

"Goku, show some respect!" King Kai barked as he entered, bowing.

"What's wrong Goku?" The Grand Kai questioned.

"It's my son. He disappeared from the universe. He doesn't exist anymore," Goku answered hurriedly.

"What's that?" Grand Kai questioned." North Kai, is this true?" He asked the little, blue Kai.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. The warriors of earth even summoned the Eternal Dragon, Shenron, to wish him back. The Dragon couldn't even help," King Kai answered.

'Hmm. I'm gonna have to report this to Supreme Kai,' Grand Kai thought as he stroked his beard.

"Grand Kai, is there anything you can do to get my son back?" Goku questioned.

"I'll look into it, Goku. I'll see what can be done. However, I can't make any promises," the Grand Kai spoke with a strong tone that signified the end of the conversation.

'Where there's a will, there's a way.' Goku thought as he turned and left the room in a hurry. He needed a quick fight to calm himself. Had anyone seen Pikkon around?

The Grand Kai left his planet in a hurry and went to the one being he knew of that was above his head; the Supreme Kai. He quickly informed the superior deity of the situation.

And though the loss of a being from the universe was of great importance and probably of equal importance to finding Majin Buu, he was certain that Babidi had found the pink monster, meaning that the Buu situation outweighed the loss of a person from the universe.

The grotesque wizard was currently on his way to a small blue planet called earth, which was coincidently the same planet the disappearance occurred.

The short, slim blue Kai promised to look into it further at a later time but not now. His upmost importance was keeping the universe safe from Majin Buu.

He also may have had to report this to his higher up. He didn't know how or where to find Lord Whis so he'd have to be patient. Whoever this missing person is, surely they could wait.

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><p>Sokka, the best warrior in the entire Southern Water Tribe; the only warrior in his tribe, had nothing to do right now so he did what he normally did when he had nothing to do… throw his boomerang.<p>

Leaving his igloo, he walked past several people until he was in a less crowded area of the tribe. He reached back and pulled out his weapon of choice. He got into position to throw it, pretending that he was aiming for a Fire-Nation soldier as he threw it.

Sokka watched as the boomerang flew through the air but was surprised when a flaming blue disk opened in the sky. He gaped at it and started to mumble incoherent non-sense, drawing the attention of everyone in the village.

Katara ran over to her brother and asked," Sokka, what's wrong?"

Getting no response from him, she followed his line of sight to the flaming blue disk thing. She too gaped at the sight. It wasn't every day that something this bewildering happened.

Soon, the entire village was under a trance like state while gazing up at the flame.

The inside of the disk portal was extremely hot and the flames were burning Gohan's skin. The burns wouldn't hurt under any normal circumstances but this was far from normal.

There wasn't much air inside and Gohan was suffocating from the lack of oxygen. He tried to concentrate his energy but it wasn't bending to his will.

Behind him, the magical Nimbus cloud was trying to to catch up to him. It could endure the heat for now and only wanted to save the life of Gohan.

He soon loss consciousness and began tumbling like a fool on a hill. Fortunately for him, an exit was close.

His body was about to exit the portal when a object flew into the portal and hit him in the head, causing him to start flipping in the opposite direction. It slowed him a little but not enough for him to be caught by Nimbus as they continued towards the exit.

He and the object fell out of the portal at amazing speeds. He crashed right into the edge of the tribe. It created a huge crater that rocked the entire area.

The Nimbus cloud floated in the air next to his body to wait for him to wake up. The cloud wasn't aware of the people approaching.

Every villager warily made their way over to the crater. No one saw him fall. The speed was too great. But they did hear and feel the impact.

They saw a half-naked boy with unruly Black-hair and tattered clothing that was hung off his body but still managed to cover up all the right parts. He had scorch marks, burns, cuts, gashes, and scrapes all over the visible parts of his body with the boomerang impaling his left shoulder. But the thing that stuck out the most was the yellow puffy cloud next to him.

The villagers began to ask questions about the strange cloud and boy. Most of the common one's were:

"Who is that?"

"What is that?"

"You think this is possibly a ploy by the Fire Nation?"

They all began to feel scared, anxious, and panicked. They were afraid of the person before them. If this person was Fire Nation, and he had Fire Bending, they were doomed. There were no Water. Benders, Known, in the Southern Water Tribe.

"Everyone, be calm." Kanna, village elder, Grandmother of Katara and Sokka, tried to keep everyone from panicking.

"Gran Gran, who is that guy?" The thirteen year-old Katara asked her Grandmother." What is that thing?"

"He's obviously Fire Nation," Sokka growled, indicating the pitch-black hair color and cream skin color. He wasn't sure what to make of the cloud.

Gohan began to stir awake. He winced when he felt an immense wave of pain wash over him; his legs felt crushed, his arms like jelly, and most of his body felt burnt.

He tried to get to his feet but only gasped in pain when he felt immeasurable pain in his left shoulder. He moved his right hand to the pained shoulder and felt a metal object sticking out of him.

He stood onto his feet on shakily legs as he probed the metal object with his fingers. He opened his eyes to see a boomerang protruding out of his shoulder. He looked up to see dozens of scared looking people staring down at him. He was very confused and slightly scared of the situation he was in. Why did he end up here? Last thing he knew, he was trying to use his Ki.

He looked down at the boomerang again and pulled it out of him. He dropped it to the ground, trying to take a step. But he was extremely unbalanced and fell on his face, soon losing consciousness from exhaustion.

"What do you think, Gran Gran?" Sokka asked as he looked Gohan over." You think he's Fire Nation?"

"No, look at that cloud," she pointed at the yellow cloud." He must've been sent by the spirits. That must be a spirit cloud," she said.

"But if he was sent by the spirits, why is he so injured?" A random elder questioned.

"Perhaps this is a test from the spirits to see whether or not we would help this boy. That cloud must be a spirit guide," Kanna deduced.

"So what are we to do with him?" Another villager asked.

"For the time being… tend to his wounds," She said before turning to her grandson. "Sokka, get him and put him in your igloo," she ordered.

"Awe! Why mine?" He complained.

She gave him a stern look that said, "Do-as-you're-told" and he grumbled before jumping into the crater to retrieve him.

The next day, Konna treated to and bandaged Gohan's wounds. They were intense but he he'd be better sooner or later. She did all that she could for him and only time would tell if he would make it or not.

Sokka didn't like the fact that Gohan was in his igloo. Why couldn't he be put in Katara's igloo? Besides obvious reasons? And what was with the Monkey Tail? The weird thing was discovered when Kanna was tending to his wounds.

"You better hope you're not Fire Nation, buddy," Sokka threatened as he began to flex in what he felt was an intimidating manner.

Gohan began to stir after the words left the Water Tribesman's mouth. Sokka stared at Gohan.

Sitting up, Gohan mumbled," What happened?" before he noticed the Water Tribe warrior looking at him. "Hey, where am I?" he asked.

Katara was walking by Sokka's igloo when she heard him speak and bursted in without warning. "You're in the Southern Water Tribe," She answered his question.

He looked confusedly at the two. They were people he had never met before and they were staring at him.

"I'm Katara and this is my brother, Sokka," she introduced herself and brother.

"It's nice to meet you, Katara. I'm Gohan," he introduced as he tried to extend his left hand in greeting. But he winced and looked down at himself. He was covered in bandages and felt that he had a few broken bones. Nothing major now that he replenished his energy to - nowhere near full power!

It was then that he realized that he did lose most of his power and it did upset him. He earned his power through training and fighting in tough battles. His already almost nearly nonexistent Saiyan Pride felt broken.

"You were in pretty bad shape. But you're better now," she told him. She noticed the sad look on his face and asked," Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." He sighed.

"Are you Fire Nation?" Sokka asked while reaching for a weapon.

"No. I don't know any Fire Nation," he said as he got to his feet. 'Come to think of it, I don't know any Water Tribe either. This must be a different planet. No! They're humans so this must be an alternate reality. It can't be the past. I'd have read about it,' he thought as he tried taking a step forward, only to stumble into the bed.

He looked down and around at his backside. His tail was swaying gently behind him.

"My tail grew back?" He questioned aloud as he tried to regain balance.

"Why do you have a tail?" Katara asked.

"It's hereditary," he answered easily. Not a complete lie. He didn't know whether or not they knew what an alien was.

"What, are you part monkey?" Sokka laughed. He didn't know it but he struck a nerve. However, Gohan didn't let it get to him. How could he possibly know about how Freeza called the Saiyan race monkeys?

"Sokka!" Katara glared at her brother. Why was he being rude to such a nice boy?

"No, but thanks for taking care of me... What are you guys wearing?" He asked when he saw that their clothing was big fur coats and pelts.

"Well, it's cold here in the South," Katara started," we need to stay warm so we layer up. You should be wearing these too," she said before turning to Sokka," give him a pair of yours," she ordered.

"First my room and now my clothes," Sokka grumbled as he turned to grab some clothes. He didn't want to give the boy he barely knew some clothes but knew it was the right thing to do.

'I wish this was a dream,' Gohan mentally sighed. 'I can probably make the best of this situation. And I'm sure the others will wish me back with the Dragonballs,' he thought with a smile.' And if that doesn't work, I'm sure Bulma can get me back.'

"Here," Sokka handed Gohan some clothes. " Katara and I will be outside," he said as he pulled his sister out.

"So," Katara began, "what do you think about Gohan?"

"Well, I don't think he's Fire Nation but that doesn't mean I'm not gonna watch him," Sokka told her.

"I think we can trust him. I mean, he seems like a nice boy," she said.

Gohan silently chuckled at their opinions of him from within the igloo. He winced because it hurt as took off the clothes that hung loosely to him.

He kept his underwear on though as he began to get dressed in the clothes Sokka left for him.

He noticed something had rolled out of his pants pocket and knelt down to grab it, wincing as he did so. A capsule. He examined the capsule in his hand as he remembered the gifts he received on his birthday. They could all come in handy some day.

He put the capsule in his pocket as he left the igloo.

"Gohan, what are you doing?" Katara questioned him, drawing a crowed near.

Gohan began to sweat at the intense look she was giving him. Did he do something wrong?

"You shouldn't be on that injured leg," she told him as she started towards him, pushing him back into the igloo and onto the bed. "You should rest into your all better," she said in a much more softer tone.

"Gosh, Katara, let the man get some breathing space," Sokka told her as he entered the room.

"Thanks for letting me borrow your clothes," Gohan told Sokka." I really appreciate it," he said.

"Don't mention it," Sokka said as he sat on his floor. He wanted to lay on his bed but Gohan did suffer some serious injuries and probably needed proper rest.

Katara blushed furiously when her brother walked in and made his comment and turned away so they wouldn't notice.

The hours passed and the three began to make small talk and surprisingly, Gohan didn't feel as hungry as he normally did. He almost felt human because he was significantly weaker and if it wasn't for his tail, he would've guessed he was transformed into a full blooded human.

Sokka soon fell asleep and Katara left to her igloo to do the same. Gohan was left awake on the bed.

While lying there, Gohan let doubt creep into his mind. He let it trick his mind into believing things he knew weren't true.

'Mom, Goten, Grandpa, Bulma, Trunks, Piccolo, Krillin,' he listed the people he would never see again. It hurt him emotionally.

A fourteen year old boy alone without knowledge of this strange new world or any guidance to help him out. He lied there on the bed and silently weeped until he fell asleep.

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><p><strong>AN: And there you have it. I hope you all enjoyed the first installation of this story. I was kinda lazy not coming up with this earlier but hey, I made up for it now. <strong>

**Remember to Read and Review! Thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2

ATLA Chapter two

Chapter 2

Two weeks passed and Gohan was back on his feet. He discovered some interesting things about himself over the course of the two weeks. He didn't have a high metabolism for some reason like he used to. He was still strong but most of his power was still gone. He hoped that it would come back but he was saddened by the fact that it didn't. He was healing at a very slow rate so he waited for them to give him some space so he could get a Senzu Bean from his capsule.

He was currently sitting on the floor in Sokka's igloo waiting for the older boy to wake up and or Katara to enter like she normally did.

He didn't have to wait long because Katara soon popped her head into the igloo." Oh, you're up," she said when she noticed his eyes scanning the room.

He looked from a weird mask to her. She was in his face with big Blue eyes. He moved back a little from the shock of her being so close.

"If you don't mind me asking, this was on my mind for some time," she started hesitantly "What was that cloud thing that was with you when you came into our world?" she asked.

Gohan's eyes widened in realization as he remembered that the cloud was indeed with him when he got transported here." It's called the Nimbus cloud and it will allow anyone with a pure heart ride on it," he told her.

"You can ride it?" she asked skeptically.

"Yeah, I'll let you do it yourself some time," he told her.

"Really?" she asked.

"Katara, can't you leave the man alone?" Sokka asked as he got out of his bed and scratched his face. "Gohan and I are going to be going on a manly hunting trip later and he doesn't need your girly talk ruining it," he said.

She huffed as she stormed out of the igloo. Gohan began to wonder why he even stuck around this long. He could've left at any second after finding out his predicament. He raised an amused eyebrow before sighing. He didn't know why Sokka had just volunteered him to go on a hunting trip.

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><p>Later that day, Gohan and Sokka were on a small boat out at sea. Gohan was sitting while Sokka stood with a spear in hand. Sokka was attempting to to instruct Gohan on how to catch fish.<p>

"The most important thing to remember is that it's all about your timing. These fish like to move around a lot so you also gotta make sure you're fast," Sokka instructed as he saw a fish.

He lined up the spear with the fish and thrusted the spear, missing and scaring the fish away.

Sokka grumbled something inaudible before handing Gohan the spear.

Gohan took it and held it the same way Sokka had. He saw three fish swimming in a clump and thrusted down and up three times, successfully skewering all three fish separately.

"H- how…?" Sokka gaped.

"It wasn't that hard. And I use to fish a lot," Gohan answered as it was the most simple thing in the world as he handed Sokka the spear.

Sokka growled as he was trumped in what was supposed to be one of his specialties.

They spent another hour out hunting. Gohan had successfully caught several dozen fishes. Ninety-four in total. Sokka, on the other hand, only caught three. They put their catches into a basket.

"Beginners luck," Sokka grumbled as they started to return to the village.

"I guess you can call it that," Gohan said, arriving at the village shores. He picked up the basket with ease, not noticing the stare of disbelief from Sokka." Where do we take this?" he asked.

"Put it by my igloo," Sokka said as he snapped out of his stupor. It would've taken him at least ten minutes to carry that many fishes in that basket. But Gohan did it in twenty seconds. And it looked like he wasn't even trying.

Later that day, Gohan and Sokka were descaling all the fish that were caught. Sitting there, Sokka was only reminded of his failing at the hunting trip by the sight of Gohan descaling the fish at a much faster rate.

"You know, it took forever to clean your blood from my boomerang," Sokka told him.

"Oh yeah? How'd that even happen?" the half-Saiyan asked.

"You landed on it," Sokka answered simply." It looked like it hurt but you healed fast," he said.

"Yeah, it stung a lot," Gohan told him as he finished the last fish.

"You know, I think your an 'ok' guy," Sokka let him know as they put all the fish back into the basket.

"Thanks," Gohan accepted the compliment.

When it was time to eat, Gohan didn't have to because he had eaten a Senzu. It would soon become a daily schedule for him. Hunting, eating, and helping out whenever and wherever he could.

Each day he'd wake up and be greeted by Katara and, go and hunt with Sokka, then descale/prepare the food/fish. The time he had after lunch and before dinner was for just hanging out with the teen siblings or mingling with the other villagers.

Dbz-

Bulma had been hard at work ever since she returned to her home. If Magic wasn't going to bring her Godson back, then science was. Currently, she was trying to figure out what took Gohan. She figured out that there was some sort of radiation and was going to try to create a way to mimic it and get to wherever Gohan was.

**( four months later)**

Gohan has adjusted to life quite well in the Southern Water Tribe. He had become great friends with both Sokka and Katara. The latter was now fourteen and the former was fifteen. Gohan was fourteen.

But he'd had gotten tired of living there. He didn't like the constant cold. How could these people be use to it? Just living in the snowy icy landscape day in and day out. He should know, he's been here for the last four months.

He didn't mean to seem ungrateful but a cold climate wasn't exactly the ideal place to live for him. He wanted to go explore the rest of the world too. Especially if he was going to be stuck here for the rest of his life.

There wasn't much to do in the Southern Water Tribe but fish and mingle with the villagers. So one day, he helped Sokka build a tower of snow that was actually sculpted amazingly. Most of the work was done by him but he let Sokka share the fame.

That was after a few weeks of him being there. After that, two months passed and he and Sokka made the villagers igloos bigger.

They were currently making the outer walls of the village sturdier.

"Who needs Water-Bending?" Sokka mumbled while patting down a piece of the wall.

"Water-bending?" Gohan repeated, this being the first time he heard that phrase since he got here, he was genuinely curious.

"Yeah, Water-bending. You know, moving the water on command. Stuff like that. They're called Water-benders. There's also Earth-benders and Fire-Benders. There used to be Air-Benders but the Fire Nation killed them all at the start of the hundred year war," Sokka told him with a frown.

Gohan took in the knowledge he received. Water-bender, Earth-bender, Fire-Bender, Air-Bender. It all sounded a bit far-fetched. Making elements bend on command? But then again, so did blowing up planets and fighting Green bug-like androids.

He just nodded and continued to pay the wall. But then he got curious. "You mentioned something about a war?" He questioned.

"Yeah, but you don't want to hear about it," Sokka shrugged. Gohan also shrugged and returned to work.

They continued working for a few more hours before they stopped. Sokka went to his igloo to sleep while Gohan went to his own.

Entering, he walked over to his bed and sat on it. He planned on leaving that night. He knew that he might be hurting his friends, but it wasn't like he'd be gone for good. He knew there energy signatures and could find them whenever he wanted.

He gathered some spare clothing and put them into a bag. Being here for so long, he managed to earn a handful of items.

"Gohan?" Katara spoke into the room.

"Come in."

Katara walked in and he put his bag over to the side. She sat on his bed. "You did a good job on the wall," she complimented.

"You think?" he asked." Sokka helped, you know," he told her.

"Why are you so modest?" she asked." You should know that you did most of the work," she said.

"But it was all Sokka's idea," he countered.

"I guess you're right," she huffed. She, like so many others, wanted to know where he came from. But every time someone asked, he'd either change the subject or say "A different world" which caused everyone to believe he was a spirit from the spirit world. They'd witnessed his feats of strength on separate occasions but never spoke on it.

"So, Katara, what brings you here?" he asked." To my igloo, I mean," he corrected himself.

Katara blushed." I just wanted to let you know that you are truly appreciated here," she told him, diverting away.

"Why are you blushing?" Gohan asked, obliviousness kicking in.

"Huh? Oh, no reason," she lied, turning away.

Gohan rubbed his head before laying back on his bed. He wondered what other things this world could offer. 'I wonder if the entire planet is as cold as it is here.' He thought.

"What year is it?" he asked while sitting back up to look to her.

"One-hundred years After Sozins Comet," she told him.

Gohan nodded his head. Guess they didn't have the same dates and times as his world did." What month is it?" he asked.

"It's the middle of January," she told him.

'The middle of January and it's been four months since I've gotten here. Which means that I arrived in the middle of September. It was only May in my world.' he mused as he laid back down.

Katara had a liking for Gohan. He was nice, respectful, strong, understanding, and Good-looking. But most of all, the only boy her age that wasn't her brother. And she really hoped that he felt the same way about her.

But of course, he was completely oblivious to her. Even when she made pretty obvious that she liked him, the only two that seemed to not see that were Sokka and Gohan.

Sokka liked Gohan the way a brother liked a brother. The two formed a pretty close bond, being the only two older males in the village.

In fact, everyone in the village liked Gohan. With his strength that he displayed every so often, they assumed that he was sent to protect them in case the Fire Nation attacked.

But of course, he wasn't.

Katara left the room after she noticed that the conversation was going nowhere.

Soon, nightfall came and Gohan found himself staring at his igloo from the outside. He was ready to leave the village.

He turned to the front of the village. He could see the sea shore between the exit in the wall he and Sokka created and began walking towards it. He stopped in between them and took one last look before leaving the village. He wanted to make sure he was a good distance away before he summoned Nimbus.

He only called for the yellow cloud once before to show people that it was safe to ride on. However, he never got around to showing Katara how to ride it.

"Nimbus!" he shouted once he was sure to be a good distance away.

He smiled as the cloud zoomed in in front of him. He jumped onto it and the two took to the air. His first destination would definitely be somewhere a little more warm. So he flew until he reached an island with a statue at the edge of a village.

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><p><strong>AN: Enjoy. And if you have read my other story, Trunks and Goten won't be arriving so don't ask me about that. And I had to do a Time skip in this chapter. Katara likes Gohan but he sadly doesn't see it. Oh well, let's see what happens next chapter.<strong>

**What at is this island Gohan found? Is it in the Fire Nation? Or is it in the Earth Kingdom? Find out next chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3: Traveling

Gohan looked down at the island below him. It wasn't frozen over like the South Pole. That was a good thing. He smiled as he flew down to a shore line.

He looked out at the ocean and saw the moons reflection off of it. It wasn't a full moon so he looked up at the sky.

'If I ever transform here, I can possibly destroy the entire planet,' he thought as he looked down and around at his tail. It was lazily wagging behind him.

He couldn't remove his own tail, could he? His Human side told him to do it. But his Saiyan side would not allow that to happen.

'Maybe I can train to control the Oozaru transformation. It's a win-win situation. One, I'd be able to be in control of my own actions, and two, I won't have to take off my tail,' he inwardly planned. 'I should also train it to not feel pain,' he thought as he remembered when one of the children from the Southern Water Tribe squeezed it.

Suddenly, his stomach growled at a much smaller level.

'Hmm, guess I'll have to go fishing,' he thought as he looked back to the water.

Stripping down to nothing and neatly folding his clothes, he set them on a nearby tree before he jumped into the air and dove down into the water. He swam to the closest energy signature in the area.

An enormous, brightly-colored fish that was shaded Yellow with a dappled Orange pattern up the spine. It had two whiskers that sprouted two feet out of either side of its mouth, swam by him quickly.

'That's a pretty big fish.' He thought as he caught it by it's tail fin before swimming back to the surface and tossing the fish onto the beach.

He walked over to his clothes and dressed himself before returning to the fish.

'I need to cook it,' he thought as he looked around for something to start a fire.

Trees! He walked over and patted on a tall tree. It seemed sturdy enough. But was it? He decided to test two other trees. They also seemed sturdy.

So he decided to take all of them. He chopped the tree at its base and let it fall over. He repeated the process two more times.

In a quiet, peaceful village, it was time for rest and everyone was sleeping in their home. Their wasn't a single noise that could be heard throughout the village.

The residents of the village lived on the island that was named after the Avatar that created it; Kyoshi because it has eluded detection from the Fire Nation, thus, staying out of the war for a hundred years.

"FLOOM" The sound of a tree falling filled the air, waking everyone from their slumber.

The Kyoshi Warriors, led by Suki, exited their homes and were already clad in their ornate, armored, green kimonos, metal headdresses, with white face-makeup.

They started towards the direction in which the sound came from. It would take them a while to get there, but when they arrived, they'd investigate.

Gohan had just started eating his dinner. He started a fire and put a large stake through the fish he had caught. He was about half-way done eating when he felt several Ki's approaching.

He turned to the direction he felt them in and waited to see what would happen.

The wait was short as several girls dressed in odd dresses came out of the trees and surrounded him.

Suddenly, after they took in his appearance, attacked him. He was surprised, but still managed to block and dodge their attacks.

"Why are you guys fighting me?" he asked as one snuck around and quickly tied his feet with rope, causing him to lose balance momentarily before another pulled his arm back and tied it to his other arm.

He then found himself being dragged through the forested area before being thrown against a post. Then he was being tied against it.

He could've done two things at this moment; he could've freed himself and beat up the girls or he could wait to see what happened.

He chose the latter of the two and watched as the girls all shot him dirty looks, confusing home.

"Uh… why is this happening?" he asked.

"Silence, you Fire Nation scum," one of the girls spat.

"I'm not Fire Nation," Gohan denied the accusation.

"That's exactly what a Fire Nation spy would say." One got in his face.

"We'll just throw him to the Unagi," an old but stern voice said from behind the girls.

The girl in his face moved so Gohan could see him. He was wearing blue clothing as well with a long white beared.

"Kyoshi island has stayed out of the war for a hundred years. And it's going to stay like that," the man said." Take him to the Unagi," he ordered.

The girls wasted no time in rushing forward and untying Gohan and retying him around his feet and wrist before dragging him off.

"Can we talk about this?" he asked.

"No," one girl hissed." Your kind is not welcome here," she spat.

He had no way of explaining himself. They wouldn't give him the chance to. He sighed." Fine. Then you leave me no choice," he told her as he broke out of the rope that was binding him, surprising them, and leapt back a few feet, putting distance between them.

He then turned on heel and started back towards the beach where his fish was. He sensed that they were following him fast so he picked up the pace. He was glad that not all his Saiyan powers were gone.

He knew that he couldn't reason with these people. He saw nothing but anger in their eyes when talking to them. This island was not a place he wanted to be. 'And what in the world was an Unagi?' he thought.

Reaching the cloud, he jumped onto it and took into the air after quickly putting out the fire.

He was sure his getaway was a success and that no one saw him. So now that he knew that the island wasn't a good place to be, he'd need to find some other place.

He flew until he came across another island. However, this island was different. This one was living. But it had trees and flora on it. He flew down and landed on it.

He looked around for a while before ruling out the possibility of any life on it. He rubbed the back of his head as he came across an open area.

He yawned as he got himself comfortable on the ground. He slowly began to drift into sleep.

In his dream, Gohan saw two Dragons. One Red and one Blue. They were performing perfectly synchronized movements in the air.

He watched the display until it ended with both Dragons facing each other. The stayed in the air for a moment before noticing Gohan.

They both charged at him with there mouths open before releasing a stream of colorful fire from their mouths. Gohan saw red, orange, green, blue, yellow, and purple flames before it engulfed him completely.

He closed his eyes and felt warm all over and when he opened his eyes, he saw a single flame, and the dragons were gone. He looked to the flame, It was a small flame. The size of a walnut. But he soon began to hear a rhythmic thumping coming from all directions.

Whenever a thump thumped, the flame grew a little. It quickly became the size of a basketball and kept growing, becoming double the size and so forth until it was about five feet in diameter.

The orange flame suddenly became Blue and warmer as it began to increase in size. It kept getting larger in size and he looked into the flame and could see, in the center, a dancing girl.

She was cream in skin color with Raven colored hair. She was wearing a Red and Black uniform with a Gold lining.

Her movements were fluent and gracefully executed with skill only years of practice gained.

He walked closer to the flame and after closer examination, he discovered that she wasn't dancing. But in fact; doing some movements like in Martial Arts. He studied her form closely.

Suddenly, the image changed and he was suddenly looking at just the girl and no flames. She began moving her arms in a wide circular arch movements as her feet shuffled into position.

Gohan watched as she shot lightning out of her fingertips at an imaginary opponent.

"Whoa," he whispered in awe.

Just then, the girl turned towards him and started the sequence again. He watched as lightning once again shot out of her fingertips.

But this time, it was aimed at him and it was traveling pretty fast. It got closer and closer until it was five feet away from him. Four feet… three feet… two feet… one foot…

Gohan nearly jumped out of bed when the attack got that close to him. He sighed as he slid out of bed. That was one of the weirdest dreams he had ever had.

He looked over his shoulder at the forest he was in. He could still sense the island was alive.

'What is this thing?' he asked himself as he saw water streaks in the water. Which meant that the island was moving.

He decided to jump into the water. But first, he put his Capsule Case aside so it wouldn't get wet. He jumped into the water and started swimming towards the front of the island.

He was almost there when he noticed something rising below him. He looked down and saw a large meaty paw rising in the water.

He stared at it for a moment before continuing to the front of the creature. It… looked like a giant lion… turtle thing. A Lion-Turtle!

Just then, the creature moved its paw under him and moved it up to bring him to the surface.

Gohan watched as the Lion-Turtle brought its head above the water. Was it going to try to eat him?

Gohan braced himself really quick but was surprised when it started to talk.

"Greetings traveler," it greeted.

"H-hello," Gohan greeted. It wasn't that much of a surprise to see a talking animal. In his world, there were quite a few that could talk. Take Turtle, Korin, Oolong, or Puar for example.

"What brings you here?" it asked.

"Well, it was an accident. I'm not from this world," Gohan started.

"I see. So you are from the spirit world?" it asked him.

"No. I come from an alternate reality where none of this exist. In my world, there is no such thing as Waterbending, Earthbending, Firebending, or any kind of bending," Gohan explained.

"Interesting. And you say that it was an accident that got you here?" it questioned him.

"Yeah," Gohan sighed." And I doubt I'll ever return. I've been stuck here for four months now," he said.

"And what is it you have been doing during your stay here?" it questioned.

"Well, at first, I stayed at the Southern Water Tribe all the way until last night. I've now decided to go and travel the world," Gohan explained.

"We are far from the Southern Water Tribe. How is it that you've gotten to this location in such a short amount of time?" it asked, hinting towards the fact that the sun had barely even came up.

"I have a flying cloud," Gohan answered simply.

"That's an extraordinary thing that you claim to have. Can you demonstrate it?" it asked.

Gohan nodded. "Nimbus!" he shouted. seconds later, the yellow cloud came soaring in and stopped next to Gohan.

This brightly colored cloud wasn't what the Lion-Turtle was expecting. there were flying clouds long ago but they dwindled out of existence. And even if they weren't extinct, a yellow cloud was unseen before.

Gohan hopped onto the cloud and sat cross legged as it made a few laps around the Lion-Turtle before returning to the paw.

"To ride the Nimbus cloud, you must be pure of heart. Otherwise, you won't be able to ride it," Gohan explained.

"You truly are from another world. And though it may be late, allow me to bestow a gift upon you as a welcoming. A gift that hasn't been given in ten-thousand years," the Lion-Turtle said as it lifted it's other hand.

Gohan hesitated for a moment. He was a little suspicious that the creature may have wanted to harm him. He could easily have done one of two things: he could smack the paw away and fly away, or he could see what was going to happen.

he watched as the Lion-Turtle's big meaty paw got closer to him and he decided to see what it would do.

And it then pressed it's index and middle fingers to Gohan's chest and forehead. Soon, a green light was being emitted from the tips of its fingertips as it gave Gohan a "gift."

* * *

><p>At the Southern Water Tribe, Katara had just woken up from a good nights rest. After getting ready for the day, she exited her igloo and wandered over to Gohan's to greet him like she normally did.<p>

Only, upon entering his igloo, she found that he was not in it. 'Hmm? Where could he be?' She asked herself as she left the igloo in search for him.

He wasn't anywhere to be found in the village or out hunting. The canoes were still there. But there was one place she didn't look.

"Sokka?" Katara questioned from outside his room before she entered. Gohan wasn't in there either. She began to feel worried.

Sokka was in blissful sleep, ignoring her completely. He was having a dream about meat and sleeping.

"Sokka, Gohan's missing," Katara told him in a panicked voice.

"Gohan's a man, he'll be fine," Sokka grumbled.

"But I've looked everywhere for him. He's not in the village," she told him.

Sokka huffed as he got from his bed and looked at her." Alright. We'll go looking for him when I'm done getting ready."

He had said that and just moments later, they were out searching for the missing Half-Saiyan. Soon, most of the village joined in the search.

They looked all day before the others gave up hope and only Sokka and Katara was left.

"Katara, I don't know where he went, but I'm sure he'll turn up eventually," Sokka told her as he began walking away.

Katara looked out to the ocean and stared at it almost as if trying to channel him back. She stood there for minutes before returning to her igloo.

Her Grandmother, Gran Gran, was waiting there for her." I won't be long, Katara," she said as she stood from the bed.

"What do you think happened to him, Gran Gran?" Katara asked.

"I'm not sure I can answer that, Katara." Gran Gran answered." But I wanted to tell you that you shouldn't become stressed over this. Gohan, where ever he is, will be back," she assured her granddaughter.

"You really think so?" Katara asked.

"Yes, because he left this." She held up the capsule containing his car. "Now, get to bed. It's getting late." Gran Gran smiled as she exited the igloo.

Katara sat on her bed and stared at the ceiling.' Where are you, Gohan?' she asked herself

* * *

><p><strong>AN: There you have it.<strong>

**This chapter is short and I would've uploaded it a few days ago. But I came across some news that bummed me out.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading and remember to R&R.**


	4. Chapter 4: Time skip

**Chapter Four**

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><p><strong>AN: I made some changes to the story so go back to Chapter One to see the restarted version. I also changed the name of the story to Dragons of the Sapphire Flame. Please tell me you guys like it. <strong>

* * *

><p>The glowing light dimmed and Gohan felt his power level increase. He was now twice as powerful. Only thing is that it's not the same type of power that he had before. It was different.<p>

**"I have given you the element of fire. Be warned for this power is very dangerous and could cause great harm to the world. I trust that with your pure heart, you'll help bring peace to the world."** The Lion-Turtle told him as it placed Gohan on his cloud.

"That's what I'll try to do. Thank you for bestowing me with such a gift," Gohan thanked.

**"Now go travel the world."**

Gohan nodded before he bowed in respect to the ancient being. "Again, thank you for this kindness. I'll do good with this power," he said as Nimbus started moving forward.

He really wished that he could fly on his own will but for some reason, some of his abilities felt shackled. Like a mystic magic was restraining him. But why would 'he' need to be restrained?

He could feel it; whenever he tried to create a weak Ki blast or hover a few feet off the ground, he felt like something was holding him down.

A heavily drawn out sigh escaped his lips as Nimbus flew high into the sky. It was pretty early in the morning and he'd have to get himself something to eat really soon.

He began to think about the new power that was inside of him; he had the element of fire and he knew that now made him a Firebender. And if he was a Firebender then people would assume that he was Fire Nation which meant that he was associated with the people that started the war that Sokka mentioned to him.

He'd have to look into that and get the details behind the point of the war. He briefly wondered how Sokka and Katara would react to that before returning his thoughts to the power within him.

He was about to try and bring out the fire when he saw something with his peripheral vision. He turned his head to the attraction.

It was some sort of social gathering. He looked closely at the town below and saw that it was actually a circus.

_'I've never been to a circus before,' _he thought as he ordered Nimbus to fly down for a landing.

He jumped off the cloud and signaled for it to fly off and do whatever it is the cloud did on its free time.

He began to walk into the town and saw that everyone there was wearing some shade of red. He looked down at his clothes; they were Water Tribe. He put two and two together and figured that Fire Nation people wore red.

_'If the Fire Nation is warring with the other nations, then I would probably be attacked,' h_e summed up.

"Hey you!" Someone shouted at him. He turned to see three men with angered expressions walking towards him.

He first felt alarmed but then he relaxed; though he was still ready to defend himself.

"Why are you wearing Water Tribe clothes?" one of the men who was short and stocky with a long beard questioned.

"I, uh…" Gohan hesitated. He wasn't sure what to tell them.

"Out with it!" The middle man who was tall and lanky with a monopoly mustache barked.

"Wait, I think I know the reason why," the third man that was average height with a full beard goatee combo.

"You do?" Gohan and the other two questioned in unison. The former getting ready to fight.

"I can feel it in my gut," he said while stepping closer to Gohan. They were a good two feet apart now.

Gohan gulped inaudibly as sweat began to form at the base of his neck.

"This boy-no! This man here was in the army. I've heard of his story; his platoon was near the Northern Water Tribe on a scouting mission when they were ambushed by Water Tribe warriors. They put up a good fight but were ultimately defeated and slaughtered by them dirty cheaters. This man here," he pointed to Gohan."He singlehandedly avenged his comrades. It was cold up north so he had to sustain his warmth with the clothes of the dead Water Tribe warriors. He then carried out the mission alone with only the captain of the ship as witness to his awesome power and determination. This man is a true hero," the man bowed at the waist to Gohan.

"Are you sure?" his buddies questioned.

"I'm telling you guys, I know it's him. I can feel it in my gut; and my guy has never led me wrong," he said.

Gohan was left speechless. He couldn't believe this guy. Was he serious? Or is this some sort of elaborate scheme of some sort?

"Here, man, take my money," the first man gave Gohan three golden coins and two silver coins.

"Yeah, and go buy yourself some real clothes at Junkos," the second man said while giving Gohan his money too. Which consisted of three copper coins.

"You deserve it," the third man said while giving Gohan four copper coins, five gold coins, and two silver coins.

Gohan nodded numbly; unable to believe his random luck. The second man pointed him in the direction of Junkos.

He walked into the market and picked out one outfit; burgundy pants that fit much like his old Gi's did, a sleeveless burgundy Gi shirt over a thin long sleeved black shirt, black shoes, and a black sash to keep his pants up.

He walked over to pay for the clothes. He didn't know what the currency was worth. Gold. Silver. Copper.

"That'll be two silver pieces and a copper piece," the man said.

"Ok, I have that," Gohan said as he handed over the exact amount.

"Thank you, I won't ask why you have Water Tribe clothes on but… I'll give you this headband. It's free," the man said.

"Thanks," Gohan grinned as he took the offered clothing attire. It was black with the Fire Nation insignia in the middle.

"The changing room is over there." The man pointed to a door off to the side.

Later, Gohan found himself walking in a throng of people towards the circus that was in town. He just followed people towards the entrance and paid his fee to enter. Which was one silver piece.

He found his way to the main attraction; a Firebending demonstration by three men.

Gohan watched fascinated by the display of Firebending.

Several minutes passed and the men finished their performance. Then another man went to the stage to start his performance.

He did a bunch of fancy tricks and maneuvers. He soon added two more flames and doing a circling motion with each. He finished by making them collide with each other, causing them to detonate in a magnificent firework display.

Gohan didn't expect birds to have flown out if the fire. _'Magicians, jugglers, benders. This is pretty fun,'_ he thought as the performer brought a volunteer up to the stage.

His stomach rumbled.' _Man, I'm hungry,'_ he thought as he looked around for something to eat.

"Fire flakes, get 'em hot!" a person standing at a concession stand shouted.

Gohan walked over." I'll have some, sir," he said.

The man handed Gohan a pouch filled with fire flakes. The Half-Saiyan grabbed some and ate them. They were hot but he wasn't effected by the heat. He savored the taste in his mouth as he turned back to the performance in time to see the performer create a dragon out of the fire.

_'Whoa, so cool,' _he thought in awe.

It was an awesome festival to say the least. Afterwards, people started going home and he was left wandering the near empty streets. It was about mid day and it was odd to not see many people out and about.

He walked out of the the small town and far into the forest. He didn't want anyone to see him traveling away on Nimbus.

He was completely unaware of the eyes that were locked on him as he thought about Firebending.

_'I'm sure I can do the same thing that those guys just did,'_ he thought. Remembering the performers as he came across a wide open area.

"Just takes practice," he mumbled as he assumed a stance he saw from earlier.

He pivoted his weight around and swung his fist towards the sky in one swift motion; hoping to create some fire. However, all that came out was a small puff of smoke.

He dropped the stance and stared blankly at his fist. He tried again with the other hand. Earning the same result.

'_Maybe that move is too advanced,' _he surmised as he tried to do one that seemed more simple.

He swung his foot at a clockwise angle and stopped at a full one-hundred and eight degrees as he thrusted his hand forward in front of him.

A small burst of blue fire erupted from his outstretched hand and he grinned as he pumped his fist." Yes, I did it!" He cheered." But why was it blue?" he questioned.

'_Blue fire?' _An elderly man in the shadows questioned. He had only witnessed one person create blue fire and that was the Fire Nation Princess herself. That was a while ago, but he was sure no other person could create blue fire except he_r.' This fool will burn down the entire forest,' h_e thought as he stepped out from behind a bush.

"What's burning?" Gohan questioned aloud as he sniffed the air.

He looked back towards the area where he shot his first, mediocre, fire blast and saw a tree on fire. His eyes widened in horror as he ran over to it.

He didn't know what to do; he began to panic but that only somehow only succeeded in making the fire larger.

"Not good," he said as he started kicking dirt at the fire.

To his relief, it started decreasing in size."Fire is a dangerous element," someone startled him from behind." A Firebender shouldn't practice it alone unless he wishes to burn down an entire forest." He turned around to face an old man with white hair and a thin white mustache.

"W-who are you?" He stuttered slightly." Where'd you come from?" he questioned. He didn't even since the man approach him. Probably because he was so focused on trying to Firebend.

"I am but just an old Firebending master," the man told Gohan, not sure if Gohan was an Fire Nation patriot." Who are you?"

"I'm Son Gohan. Not that much of a Firebender," he sighed." But I'll get the hang of it eventually," he said.

The old master looked Gohan over. "You're not from around here, are you?" He asked.

"How'd you know?" Gohan asked, genuinely curious.

"By the way you carried yourself into this forest. Where are you from; where is your family?" the man questioned.

"I…" Gohan stopped, unsure whether or not he could trust the man. He scrutinized his appearance; the man wore several, dirty, tattered robes. He had two diagonal scars over his right cheek. He looked like a wise old man. _'I guess I can trust him._'"… It's a pretty long story," Gohan said.

"Let's hear it," the man replied, showing that he had all the time in the world.

"Well… it sounds a bit far-fetched but I swear that it's completely true. It all started…" Gohan started his story.

When he finished his story, he looked back to the man.

The man had a neutral face as he stared Gohan down. "I believe you," he said. But not because Gohan was convincing. But because all high ranking members of the Fire Nation army were told of a prophecy; a prophecy of a boy that will be brought to their world at his fourteenth birthday. That he'd be granted the art of Firebending and would either cause world piece or untold damage.

Jeong Jeong did not want the latter to happen so he made a decision.

Gohan smiled as the man turned from him." Come with me. I shall teach you to become a master Firebender," he told him.

"You mean, you're gonna train me?" the half-Saiyan questioned.

"That's what I said. Now come before I change my mind." the man snapped.

"Ok," Gohan obliged and started following the man. They walked through the forest until they came across a dirt path.

Walking down it, the man said, "Jeong Jeong." At Gohan's confused expression, he continued. "My name is Jeong Jeong." He said.

"So do I call you Master Jeong Jeong then?" Gohan questioned.

"Yes," Jeong Jeong answered.

Gohan kept quite as they continued down the path. He wasn't sure what the training would be like but he was eager to start it.

They reached the area Gohan assumed was the camp and Jeong Jeong walked to his. Before entering, he turned back to Gohan and said," Find somewhere to rest, we'll start tomorrow."

Gohan nodded before going off to do just that.

* * *

><p>And like it was said, Jeong Jeong and Gohan started the training; which was really just breathing and concentrating exercises. But he didn't complain.<p>

However, he did want to go back to the Southern Water Tribe where Sokka and Katara were. But other than that, the training was going great.

A few days passed and he decided that after the days training, he'd meditate instead of going straight to sleep.

He sat in the hut that was prepared for him and started to meditate. He cleared his mind of all thoughts.

He found himself sitting in a dark void with no light in it. He turned his head to his left and saw a very faint golden glow off in the far distance.

He started jogging towards it; he arrived quickly and nearly gasped at the sight. It was him in his Super Saiyan Two form trapped inside some sort of crystal ball.

He looked around for the cause of this bizarre container. He placed his hand on the ball and was immediately zapped by lightning.

"Ow!" He exclaimed as he was forced out of his meditation." Man, what was that?" he whispered.

What was it? Was that ball his full restrained power? That's what it seemed to be; that was the most logical answer.

He'd have to figure out how to release it if he'd want to use it again. And he really wanted to use it again.

* * *

><p>The next day, at the Southern Water Tribe, Sokka and Katara were in a canoe fishing for dinner. They had gotten over Gohan's disappearance and were now just hunting.<p>

They were quite while Sokka followed a fish with his eyes. "It's not getting away from me this time, He said as he got ready to skewer the fish." Watch and learn, Katara. This is how you catch a fish." he said as he got ready.

His sister wasn't really paying attention. Instead, she was looking down at the water below her. A fish swam through her field of vision and she got an idea.

Removing one of her gloves, she extended her arm out towards the fish and started moving her hand up and down.

The water started rippling and a fish inside a bubble of water came out of the water. She was surprised and said," Sokka, look."

"Shh, Katara," he hushed her." You're gonna scare it away. I can already smell it cooking," he said deviously.

"But, Sokka, I caught one," she told him as she made it move around on her command towards the inside of the canoe. Sokka moved the spear back in attempt to thrust it down and poked the water bubble, causing it to splash everywhere and free the fish." Hey!" She complained.

"Why is it that every time you play with magic water, I get soaked?" he complained.

She sighed at his ignorance." It's not magic; it's Waterbending." she corrected him." And it-"

"Yeah, Yeah. It's an ancient art, unique to our culture, blah, blah, blah." he turned away from her." All I'm saying is that if I had weird powers, I'd keep my weirdness to myself." He said as he rung out his hair.

"You're calling me weird?" she questioned in disbelief." I'm not the one who makes muscles at himself every time I see my reflection in the water," she said, rolling her eyes.

Sokka was going to retort but a jolt that rocked the canoe stopped him. He looked to the front of the boat to see that they were caught in a water current.

He grabbed the paddle and tried to get them out of the dangerous water. They were soon caught in the middle of iceberg infested waters and the huge chunks of ice were moving towards them at amazing speeds.

Katara began yelling out directions he should go in fear for her life and he zoned her out as he tried his own way.

Nonetheless, the canoe ended up getting smashed and they both ended up on a block of ice.

"You call that 'left'?" she questioned.

"You don't like my steering? Well, maybe you should've Waterbended us away from the ice," he said.

"So it my fault?" she asked angrily as she stood to her feet.

"I knew I should've left you home. Leave it to a girl to screw things up," he said as he looked away." You know, this never happened when Gohan was here," he complained.

Katara was fuming at his words." You are the most sexist, immature, nut brained… ugh, I'm embarrassed to be related to you!" She flailed her arms angrily, causing small waves and a large crack to form on a nearby iceberg.

Sokka noticed this and began to get worried as he tried to stop her.

"Ever since mom died," she continued. "I've been doing all the work around camp while you've been off playing soldier!" she exclaimed.

"Uh, Katara?" he tried again.

"I even do all the laundry! Have even ever smelled one of your dirty socks? Let me tell you, it's not pleasant!" she thrusted her hands down, causing more cracks in the iceberg.

"Katara! Settle down!" Sokka pleaded, fearing for his life again.

"No, that was the last straw. I'm done helping you! From now on, you're own your own!" She yelled one last time, creating cracks and ultimately destroying the iceberg.

Sokka looked horrified past her and she followed his gaze in time to see the iceberg crumble and plunge into the water., making a huge wave that carried them a few meters away.

"Ok, you've officially went from Weird, to Freakish, Katara," he told her.

"You mean, I did this?" she asked wide eyed.

"Yup, congratulations," he told her.

Suddenly, a blue glowing light could be seen in the water in front of them. They got to their feet in alarm and watched as a huge glowing ice berg emerged from the water.

They looked at the iceberg and it's glow illuminated the area in a feint blue hue. Katara looked closer at the center and saw that a boy and a huge animal was in it. The formers eyes suddenly opened, causing the siblings to gasp.

"He's alive!" Katara told Sokka." We've got to help him." She said as she grabbed his club from his back and ran towards the iceberg.

"Wait, Katara, we don't know what that thing is!" He chased after her.

She stopped in front of it and started hitting it with the club. Intending to free the boy inside. She hit it four times before a gust of wind erupted from the spot she was hitting it. Then, a large crack formed up the height of the iceberg and it split in half as a beam of white light shot into the atmosphere.

* * *

><p>Back at camp, Gohan was talking with Chey. He was the second person to have ever left the Fire Nation army. Only, he wasn't famed for doing it like Jeong Jeong.<p>

"Yeah, I think Jeong Jeong was an Admiral. Or was it a General?" Chey questioned himself.

"Admiral." Gohan clarified. He had heard the story from his Firebending teacher himself but Chey still felt the need to tell him.

"Yeah, anyways-"

Gohan abruptly snapped his head to the south. He felt a dramatic power level appear seemingly out of nowhere._' That power,_' he thought. _'It's nearly three times higher than my current level,' _he thought in awe as Chey continued talking.

He wasn't sure who the power belonged to but he wasn't worried because it felt good and it also fell as dramatically as it rose.

He'd have to keep tabs on it during his stay at camp. He wasn't afraid if the power, he knew that not all fights were one by it alone. His physical strength was also the same as it was before he got transported to this world.

He could easily several tons just with one hand. But there had been no need to use such strength since he had been here.

* * *

><p>Several weeks later, Gohan was practically a master himself; sure, he wasn't AS good As Jeong Jeong but was close. He was a true prodigy. The fastest learning student out of Jeong Jeong's two students he ever had.(Two including Gohan)<p>

"We will soon be traveling to a different location. The Fire Nation is always searching for me and I can't afford to always be in one place for long," Jeong Jeong told Gohan.

"I remember you told me that," Gohan nodded." Do you think I can go to the Fire Days Festival once more before we leave?" Gohan asked.

"You may go tonight," Jeong Jeong approved.

"Alright!" Gohan silently exclaimed. He enjoyed the festival the first time around and knew he'd enjoy it the second time.

"And while you're there, you can get yourself a new set of clothes," Jeong Jeong chuckled." The only thing not burned from your training is that headband."

Gohan looked to his clothes. They really were burned in several areas.

"But, for now, you will go practice your bending. I'll join you later for a match," the master told the pupil.

Gohan bowed at the waist before going to his training area. During his time training over the past few weeks, his own power heightened greatly. But he has also felt that power skyrocket and fall several more times.

He reached his training area and began his normal everyday warmup before starting his katas. Jeong Jeong joined him soon enough and the two were soon facing each other getting ready to fight.

"Ready?" Jeong Jeong questioned.

Gohan nodded as he took up his stance. Which was just a tweaked version of the Turtle-Style stance. He was ready.' _This time, I'll win,' _he thought.

He punched forward, creating a ball of azure fire before shuffling his right foot towards Jeong Jeong at a faster speed than the ball.

The old master was ready and stepped on the first fire wave that came fast and dodged the next one to the left.

But Gohan was relentless and shuffled more before creating two more balls of fire.

Jeong Jeong jumped over the floored flames and took control of the fireball before throwing it right back at the half-Saiyan.

Gohan parted the ball before dodging two more Jeong Jeong sent his way. He flipped over the last one with a front flip and shot a powerful blast at Jeong Jeong with his feet.

Jeong Jeong retaliated with a powerful stream of fire that nearly caught Gohan off guard. The half-Saiyan smiled as he brought column of blue fire up that protected him from the attack.

He didn't wait to see what the old master would do because he jumped directly in the air and flipped over his master after he let the column drop pointed his hand at Jeong Jeong.

"Looks like I win this one," he grinned.

"Very good," Jeong Jeong complimented." Your young mind has come up with a strategy that succeeded. However, I won't hold back tomorrow," he warned.

Gohan nodded in understanding. 'Man, I thought he had been serious this entire time. Guess I'll have to try harder tomorrow,' he thought with a smirk before taking off to his own hut.

'Such raw power,' Jeong Jeong thought after Gohan had left.' It's a good thing he's not with the Fire Nation army or he really could cause untold destruction to the world.'

Gohan walked back to his hut to get his money before going to the town.

Entering the town, he walked straight to Junkos. He bought the exact same outfit he was wearing with an extra headband before changing and folding up his clothes.

He walked out to enjoy the festival. He wanted to watch the fire performance again. He wanted to ask the man how he made the fire look like dragon. Jeong Jeong never taught him how because he said it was a "waste of time" and never told him how.

He made his way over to the front and stood by as the show began.

* * *

><p>Later, the magician had just completed his bird in the fire trick.<p>

"I got to learn that trick," a bald kid wearing orange and yellow robes with blue arrow tattoos said.

Gohan looked over to the kid and his two companions; a girl wearing a dark purple cloak and a boy with a dark blue cloak.

His stomach growled before he could say anything and he made his way back to the camp. He hadn't brought all his money so he had to go back their to eat.

He exited and jogged back to the camp site. After he ate, he went into his hut to sleep. And he did so. When he woke up, he heard Jeong Jeong instructing," Widen your stance."

He sat up and stretched.' _Who's he talking to?'_ he asked himself.

"Wider."

He heard the shuffling of feet.

"Bend your knees."

More shuffling.

"Now concentrate... Good, Good," he heard Jeong Jeong walking away.

"Wait, what do I do know?" he heard a familiar voice ask.

"Silence! Talking is not concentrating. Look at your friend; is she talking? Even that oaf knows to concentrate on what he's doing."

"Hey!" Sokka complained, sounding offended.

'Sokka?' Gohan questioned as he got dressed.

"But what am I concentrating on?"

"Feel the heat of the sun. It is the greatest source of fire. It is in balance with nature."

Gohan extended his senses to confirm that it was Sokka. He also sensed Katara and _that_ power!

He exited his hut in time to hear the kid ask," So when do I get to make some fire blast?"

"Concentrate!" Jeong Jeong ordered as he walked away.

He started chuckling in sync with Sokka and Katara, drawing their attention to him.

"Who are you?" The kid asked.

"Gohan?" Katara and Sokka gasped.

"Hi, Guys," he greeted with a smile.

* * *

><p>In a realm where the spirits roam, one spirit and two Gods have been watching the half-Saiyan since he arrived in this world. The former had requested the latter two many years ago.<p>

Agni was his name and the two he requested were Whis, The God of Creation, and Barkarot, The Super Saiyan God.

"I don't like this," Barkarot complained." He's a Saiyan and he worked for all that power. You shouldn't have taken it from him," he crossed his arms.

"It's already been explained to you; it's just a precaution for in case he becomes evil," Agni said.

"How can _he_ become evil? He's a descendent of mine and is pure of heart. There is no possible way for that to happen," Barkarot said. "If anything, he'd just destroy this Fire Lord no problem," he said.

"Anything can happen," Whis told him.

"I guess you're right, Venerable one," Barkarot bowed to Whis.

"Anyways, he already found his restrained power," Whis told Agni.

"Eventually, he will find a way to release those powers. Then what do we do?" Agni asked.

"I can contain them again but he'll just release them again. It'll be a continuous loop that I care not to be apart of," Whis said.

"Can't you make it stronger next time?" Agni asked.

"I've made it as strong as I can without killing him," Whis said.

"I see," Barkarot said as he mentally rooted for the kid to unleash his powers. Whis wouldn't continue back and forth, then the kid would be at his best all the time.

"And what happens if he becomes evil and gets his power back?" Agni asked.

"We will not interfere," Whis said." This prophecy you created says that there is a possibility of that happening. It could go either way, " Whis told him.

"So, now what?" Barkarot asked.

"You are going back to the otherworld. You only had to agree to let one of your descendants be brought here. As I agreed to let someone from my universe be brought here. While I'll stay and watch for a little while, you are to return back to otherworld," Whis said.

"Can I keep my body this time?" Barkarot asked hopefully.

"Ask King Yemma," Whis said as he tapped his staff one time, causing Barkarot to be transported to the check in station.

"Now, shall we see how things turn out from here?" Agni inquired.

"Yes," Whis agreed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed and remember to R&amp;R.<strong>


	5. Chapter 5: Joining the GAang

**Chapter Five**

* * *

><p>"Hi Guys," Gohan said, grinning at Sokka and Katara.<p>

"Gohan!" they cheered as they rushed towards him. He stood there chuckling as Katara hugged him.

"Man, where have you been?" Sokka asked as he and Gohan fist bumped.

"Well, I left on Nimbus to travel the world. I went to this island where I was ambushed by a bunch of girls," he started.

"You went to Kyoshi Island?" Katara questioned.

"We were there a week ago," Sokka said.

"Wow, well anyways, I left that place and flew to another island that wasn't even an island but a huge Lion Turtle creature. I spent the night on it's shell; which was densely covered in tress and bushes. When I woke up, I wanted to see what it was so I jumped into the water and swam to the front of it and that's how I found out what it was. It was swimming and I guess when it saw me, it wanted to talk so it lifted me on its paw. We talked and I told him I was from a different world and he ended up giving me a gift," Gohan told them.

"What type of gift?" Katara asked.

"Was it food?" Sokka asked hungrily.

"This," Gohan said as he held his right hand out palm towards the sky, generating a small wisp of blue fire.

"Whoa, it's blue fire." Katara whispered.

"Yeah, I don't know why mines is different. But I think it had something to do with the Lion Turtle," Gohan said." Anyways, after that, I left on Nimbus again and saw that fire festival from the sky. I've never been to one so I decided to visit it…" he went on to tell them all of what happened over the course of the past three weeks. " And that's when I came out and saw you two," he finished.

"I wish you would've told us you were leaving before you left." Katara crossed her arms and looked away with a frown.

"Oh, come on, Tara, I was going to come back. I wouldn't leave my best friends forever without saying goodbye," he told her with a smile, using the nickname he came up with back at the Southern Water Tribe.

She looked back to him. His smile was enough to make her weak at the knees. But she was still mad at him. There was no time to swoon like a love struck girl. But she did like it when he used that nickname for her.

She huffed before uncrossing her arms." Fine, I'll forgive you this time. Just don't pull that disappearing act ever again," she warned.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he said before turning to to Sokka." You two going to tell me how you started your journey? And who's that Kid?" he pointed a thumb towards Aang.

"Well," Katara started as they began walking off." It started when Sokka and I went on a fishing trip. It wasn't exactly the easiest thing with you gone," she told him.

Gohan felt a twinge of guilt. He realized that he did help make things easier. His absence must've made it a little more difficult. Or, back to how it was before he arrived.

"Anyways…" she went in to tell him about how they found Aang and their adventures up until they arrived here.

"Wow, that sounded like it was fun," he said in awe.

"Really? Being chased around the world by an angry jerk sounds like fun?" Sokka questioned.

"Well, kind of. It sounds like he can be a real challenge for me besides Jeong Jeong," he told them.

"Well, I'm getting hungry," Sokka said." Wanna go hunt?" he asked Gohan.

"Sure," Gohan agreed. His stomach silently growled too.

"Boys," Katara mumbled as she shook her head.

Aang simply stood in his stance. He was beginning to feel jealous of this new guy. But he learned from his past mistake so he would continue to concentrate on the sun and it's warmth.

* * *

><p>On their way back to camp, Gohan and Sokka, who both had found nothing adequate to eat, crossed paths with Aang; who was supposed to be breathing on the mountain.<p>

"What are you doing?" Gohan questioned." You should be doing your exercises." he told the Avatar, warning him.

"All he's been doing is telling me to breath or concentrate. I want to learn how to use fire," Aang said, wiggling his fingers for emphasis.

"Well, you should take it slow. I don't much about Avatars, but I advise taking it slow. You might burn something or someone," Gohan said.

"I'd listen to him, Aang. He knows what he's talking about," Sokka agreed" Fire is dangerous. You could hurt someone."

"I know how to be careful, guys." He brushed their concerns off and continued down to the campsite.

"Does he always brush off other peoples concerns?" Gohan asked.

"Only sometimes. But it usually leads to a life threatening situation," Sokka said.

"Think we should keep an eye on him?" Gohan asked.

A rustling sound nearby stopped the Water Tribe warrior from responding.

A wild boar streaked from behind a bush and into the forest.

"I'm still hungry," Sokka said as he charged the boar.

Gohan shrugged his shoulders and started off after his friend. He was indeed hungry. Besides, what's the worst that could happen while they went hunting?

That was a question Gohan didn't want to know the answer to as he heard Katara's scream from within the woods.

"Katara?" Gohan stopped dead in his tracks.

Sokka seemed to hear it too and they both started running back to the camp.

They arrived and saw Katara crouched position with her hands covered.

"Katara, what's wrong?" They both asked in unison with a worried tone. Neither took the time to think of that as weird as Sokka knelt down beside her.

"What did you do?" Sokka asked Aang demandingly.

"It was an accident," Aang tried to explain." I, uh, Katara I'm so-"

Sokka tackled Aang to the ground. While Gohan knelt down besides the crying Katara. "We told you that you shouldn't have messed around with this; now look at what you did. You burned my sister."

Katara immediately took off in the direction that Sokka and Gohan arrived from.

Gohan took off after her after getting his capsule full of his stuff ready so he could give her a Senzu Bean.

He de-capsulized it when he reached her. She was too busy weeping to notice. He picked up his golden bag of beans and began walking towards her. He didn't notice Jeong Jeong approaching.

"Katara," he started. But she had plunged her hands into the river she was crouched over. He was going to tell her that water didn't make the burns go away when her hands started glowing.' _What the?'_ he questioned as she pulled her hands out of the water fully healed.

"You have healing abilities," Jeong Jeong said from behind both of them as he walked past Gohan and crouched next to Katara." I always wished I was blessed like you; free from this burning curse," he told her, indicating his Firebending.

"But you're a great master. You have powers I'll never know." She replied, now noticing Gohan and his golden bag but not saying anything.

"Water brings healing and life. But fire brings only destruction and pain. It forces those of us burdened with its care to walk a razors edge between humanity and savagery. Eventually, we're torn apart," he finished just as a fireball splashed in the river in front of them.

Gohan looked to the left just as another blast flew straight at him. He dispersed the flame before it could cause any harm and looked towards the source of the trouble; three boats on the river fast approaching.

"Go get your friends and flee!" he ordered the Water Tribe girl. She took off running back to the camp. "Do not come back here, or you will all be destroyed. Hurry!" he yelled after her before turning to Gohan. "You go with them! Gather your things and leave!"

"What? No way! I'm not leaving you here by yourself," Gohan argued as he shot his own blue fire blast at an on coming assault of orange fireballs.

"I will take care of myself! Now go!" he yelled as he created a wall of fire that blocked the three boats from going any further.

Gohan hesitantly gathered his things before taking off in the direction Katara went. Jeong Jeong was a master Firebender. He knew what he was doing. Or at least he hoped.

He didn't bother to capsulize his stuff as he started running faster. He quickly caught up with Katara as they approached a huge white creature with a brown arrow design in its fur that led up his spine and on it's head.

"Katara, are you alright?" Sokka asked protectively.

"I'm fine," she assured him." We need to get out of here. Where's Aang?" she asked.

Sokka pointed his thumb over his shoulder and she ran to the hut.

"Jeong Jeong told me to go with you guys." Gohan said dismissively at Sokka's confused expression

Gohan jumped onto the saddle in one jump and set his things down. He sensed the Avatar rushing off to Jeong Jeong's aid.

'_Maybe I should go help too,'_ he thought as reached for his Power Pole.

However, he sensed Jeong Jeong moving away from the trouble and relaxed slightly.

Katara came back and she, and Sokka climbed Appa. The latter on the Bison's head." Yip Yip!" Sokka said and it took to the air.

Gohan was slightly surprised but remembered what Katara and Sokka had told him.

Arriving on the river bank where Aang was managing to dodge all of the Admiral's attacks, causing him to ignite his own boats.

Aang was in the water while the boats sank and Sokka shouted, "Aang, come on!"

The Air Nomad leaped onto the head of the Flying Bison as Sokka climbed into the back with Katara and Gohan.

"Yip Yip." Aang said and the beast took to the air.

They flew in silence for a few moments and Aang climbed into the saddle with them.

"Aang, your burned," Katara said, indicating his arm. It was visibly pink." Let me help you," she said as she scooted closer to him and Waterbended some water out of her pouch that was on her hip. She made the water glove around her hand as she placed it over his forearm. In moments, he was healed.

"Wow, that's good water," Aang said gratefully.

"When did you learn how to do that?" Sokka asked.

"I guess I always knew," Katara shrugged.

"So, where are we going?" Gohan asked as he began sorting through his stuff, making sure he didn't leave anything behind.

"To the Northern Water Tribe to get Aang and Katara a master," Sokka answered.

"I'm Aang," Aang extended his right hand to Gohan.

Gohan looked at the offered appendage."I'm Gohan." He shook the hand.

"Yeah, Gohan was with us before we found you, Aang," Katara said.

"Really? But, how'd you get to the Earth Kingdom?" Aang asked curiously.

Gohan smiled. A second later, he shouted, "Nimbus!"

"What's Nimbus?" Aang asked.

Just then, a puffy yellow cloud came streaking in before slowing down to match the speed of the flying bison.

"That's Nimbus." Gohan said as he stood to his feet before hoping over to the cloud.

Aang gaped at the sight. How was this possible? The only time he ever heard of people riding clouds was when he was younger and asked about the first airbender people of ancient times.

"Katara, remember that ride I promised you?" Gohan asked as the cloud moved closer to the saddle. He extended his hand out to her.

She remembered. He told her he'd let her ride some day. But she seemingly never had the time to take him up on that offer. Now was the time.

She slowly stood to her feet and walked over to the edge of the saddle. She took the offered hand and he pulled her up with one arm onto the cloud.

When her feet touched down on the plush cloud, her eyes widen as it felt solid enough to stand on.

"I knew you were pure of heart." he told her as she got on both knees. He sat on his bottom and faced forward." You might want to hold on." He told her as Nimbus started moving forward faster.

She let out a startled shriek as she clung to Gohan's right arm. She had never experienced such speed before.

Gohan laughed happily as Nimbus did a few circles at high speeds. Luckily, Katara hadn't recently eaten anything or it would've left her stomach during the movements.

Gohan spared her from any more fright and slowed Nimbus dramatically to match Appa's speed. However, he kept them above Appa so he could ask her something.

"That was amazing," she said as she loosened her hold on his arm. She had never felt them before and was surprised by how muscled it felt. (I don't want this to seem awkward. But it sure does feel that way.) It was hard and toned.

"Katara, I want to go back and check to see if Jeong Jeong is alright," he told her.

"I'm sure he's alright," she told him.

"I know where they all went. I'll be back soon, I promise," he told her.

"How will you find us?" she asked.

"Trust me, I'll find you all," he told her.

"I… trust you," she told him.

Gohan smiled as they began to gradually descend." I need you to watch my stuff. They'll be safe but I want you to keep a special eye on that red pole that I had. It means a lot to me," he told her.

He would've taken it with him but wanted her to feel assured that he'd return.

"I will," she said.

Below them, Aang was jealous and it was obviously on his face because Sokka started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Aang asked.

"You're jealous," Sokka answered.

"No I'm not," Aang denied as he looked back up at the cloud.

"It's written all over your face," Sokka said.

"So!? Who cares about the stupid cloud and the stupid blue fire?" he yelled.

Just then, Nimbus came down enough to let Katara step off safely.

"Thanks," she said as he stayed on the cloud.

"Sokka , I'll be back soon," he said as he made an arch with Nimbus and took off in the opposite direction.

"Where's he going?" Sokka asked.

"To make sure Jeong Jeong is ok. He said that he'd be back soon though." She sighed.

"Good riddance." Aang mumbled inaudibly. But then felt ashamed. He barely Knew Gohan and was jealous because Katara was infatuated with him. But it only made him upset because Gohan was oblivious to her! Or was he? He began to think about the tips Sokka have him when they visited Aunt Wu. Did he give Gohan the same advice and that's why Katara liked him? He sighed as it began to get dark.

* * *

><p>During Gohan's absence, the Gang traveled to the Western Air Temple, on the rumor that people were living there. Sadly, it turned out to only be people that migrated there.<p>

* * *

><p>Gohan arrived over a densely forested region several miles away from the camp they were at. He sensed Jeong Jeong and the others there but not Chey. Poor man must've gotten left behind.<p>

He jumped from Nimbus and landed with a thud behind the group of travelers.

Startled, they all got on the defensive but relaxed when they realized who it was.

"Gohan," Jeong Jeong was surprised to see his pupil pop in unexpectedly.

"Master Jeong Jeong." Gohan bowed the correct way." I left with the others but I'd like to know why you asked me to," he said.

"You are my best pupil, Son Gohan. A true Firebending prodigy. But there are things I can not teach you. That is why I sent you to travel the world with the Avatar," Jeong Jeong told him.

Gohan nodded in understanding. "But why didn't you let me fight with you?"

"A fish does not help another when under attack from a predator. It survives by fleeing," Jeong Jeong said.

'Nice analogy.' Gohan thought sarcastically.

"We will set up camp for the night later down this path," Jeong Jeong said as they continued forward.

Gohan nodded and continued with them.

* * *

><p>The next day, they woke up early and continued to walk for several more miles before taking a ten minute break where they ate and rested.<p>

Gohan ate some fruit that had been given to him and closed his eyes as he extended his senses to find out where Zhao was.

_'Wow, he sure does give up easy. He's going the opposite direction,'_ he thought.

"We leave now." Jeong Jeong said.

Gohan walked over to the Firebending master to walk side by side." Master Jeong Jeong, I wanted to thank you for taking the time to train me," he said.

"You are welcome," Jeong Jeong replied with a smile as Gohan bowed.

"But, I'll travel this day with you before going back," Gohan said.

And that's what he did, he left before sunset and he arrived with Nimbus next to Appa and the others. They were at some old ruined temple.

"Alright, Nimbus, I'll call you when I need you," He said as he jumped from the cloud and did a series of flips before landing with a _TOCK_ next Appa.

Attracted by the noise, Sokka, Katara, and Aang rushed to the side where he landed.

"You're back," Katara said.

"What, you didn't believe me?" he questioned.

"I did." She assured him." It was just hard to," she said.

"Well, Jeong Jeong and the others are safe and I'm here with you guys for good. I'm officially joining this team," he said.

"Good, we were just about to leave," Aang said with a forced smile.

"To the Northern Water Tribe?" Gohan questioned.

"Yes," Sokka answered." Let's go before it gets late," he suggested as they mounted the beast.

Aang hopped onto Appa's head. "Yip Yip," he said and the bison took to the air.

* * *

><p>Two days later, Gohan, Sokka, Katara and Aang were tired from flying for two days straight and Appa was slowly reaching ocean level from his tiredness.<p>

Gohan was on his back staring up at the sky with Katara prone to his left looking far out into the ocean and Sokka to his right in the back facing both of them from his seated position. Aang was on Appa's head steering the flying animal.

"I'm not one to complain," Sokka started." But, can't Appa fly any higher?" Sokka questioned.

"I have an idea;" Aang snapped. "Why don't we al get on your back and you take us to the North Pole?" he questioned, irritated, while pointing directly at the Water Tribe warrior.

_'Yeah, because he wants two males, his sister, and a bison on his back.'_ Gohan mentally said sarcastically. Then he sat up. Where did that come from?

"I'd love to," Sokka said sarcastically while bending over the saddle." Hop on everyone; Sokka is ready for takeoff," he said sarcastically.

"Look," Katara started, trying to ease the tension." We're all just a little tired and cranky because we've been flying for two days straight." Katara said.

"And for what? We can't even find the Norther Water Tribe. There's nothing up here," Sokka told them.

"Actually," Gohan started." There's a group of people coming our way," he said as Aang had to sharply maneuver Appa to avoid a spike of ice that stuck out of the water.

It would've been a kill blow if the Avatar wasn't ready. He tried to move Appa out of the way of another ice attack and nearly succeeded but it caught Appa on his middle right paw, causing the Bison to spin out of control.

Appa landed in the water but was rendered immobile when the water turned to ice and trapped him.

Gohan and Sokka jumped to their feet. The former with his Power Pole in hand while the latter reached for his boomerang.

"Their Waterbenders," Katara pointed out when their attackers revealed himself." We found the Northern Tribe," She smiled.

It was a misunderstanding and the warriors understood that when they saw three people wearing Water Tribe clothing and the Avatar.

So now they were being escorted to the tribe by the warriors.

The half-Saiyan was a little disappointed that they had to stay for who knows how long. But it was ok because he was dressed in the Water Tribe clothing Sokka gave him many months back.

Aang and Katara were excited about being able to find a master to teach them Waterbending.

Sokka was glad that they finally made it to the Northern Water Tribe.

"There it is," Aang said as the outer wall of the tribe came into view.

"The Northern Water Tribe," Katara sounded astonished.

"We're final here." Sokka said.

Gohan just watched as they made their entrance into the city. The Waterbender's bending ability was amazing.

"I can't believe how many Waterbenders live up here," Katara said, looking around at all the men that bent the water easily.

"Yeah, we'll find a master to teach us no problem," Aang said as they entered the outer wall. There was another ahead of them that they had to pass to enter the city.

They entered it and Appa followed a little sail boat that was leading them to the heart of the city.

Along the way, a small canoe, traveling in the opposite direction as them.

Sokka, like the others was gazing around the city when he noticed the canoe's passengers. A man paddling it while the most beautiful girl he had ever seen sat enjoying the scenery of the city.

He smiled lopsidedly as he hopped off the saddle and slid down the length of Appa's tail to get a better look at her retreating form.

Gohan also noticed her and stared at her; but not to the extent or as long as Sokka did. She was pretty.

"This place is beautiful," Katara commented.

"Yeah, she is," Sokka said in a half trance, staring at the girl.

They were welcomed with open arms by the chief and invited to a feast to be held for them.

That's where they were now. The order of which they were sitting from right to left went: Gohan, Sokka, Katara, Aang, the Chief and other important people.

"Today we celebrate the arrival of our brothers and sister of the Southern Water Tribe. And with them, they brought someone very special. Someone we believed disappeared from the world until now; the Avatar." He gestured to Aang.

There was a loud applause as Aang waved to the crowd. It went unnoticed by many that he thought Gohan was a member of the Southern Water Tribe when he said. 'brothers'.

"We also celebrate my daughters sixteenth birthday; Princess Yue is now of marrying age," Chief Arnook announced as he stepped aside to allow the gathering to view his approaching daughter.

"Thank you, father." Yue nodded to him before turning to address the people." May the spirits watch over us during these troubled times."

"Now, master Paku and his students will perform," Arnook said.

Gohan wasn't really interested in watching the display as he began eating; it wasn't fast and messy like he did back in his world because he didn't feel like he'd literately die if he didn't eat as fast as he could.

Sokka also began eating until he noticed the Princess coming over to sit… next to Gohan!

However, Gohan slid over so she could sit between them.

Sokka sighed in relief before stuffing to pieces of meat in his mouth and swallowing them before turning on the charm and propping his left elbow on the table before turning to Yue." Hi there, Sokka; Southern Water Tribe," he told her.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you," Yue told him.

An awkward silence filled the the air for a brief moment.

"I'm, Gohan," the half-Saiyan greeted her before returning to his food.

"So," Sokka said in length." You're a Princess," he stated the obvious. "You know, back in my tribe, I'm kinda like a Prince my self," he told her.

"Ha!" Katara couldn't help but laugh. "Prince of what?" she asked.

"A lot of things," Sokka told her. "Do you mind; I'm trying to have a conversation here," he said.

"My apologies, Prince Sokka." She bowed mockingly.

"Gohan, are you a bender?" Yue asked, slightly interested in the younger boy.

"I'm a Firebender," he answered, earning a gasp from the snow-haired girl.

"But don't worry, he's not like the others," Sokka assured her, drawing her attention.

"He's not with the Fire Nation?" Yue asked, astonished.

"Yeah, and since I'm going to be in town for a while, I was wondering if we could do an activity together?" he suggested nervously.

"An activity?" she chuckled.

Sokka's expression went blank as he gobbled down two more pieces of meat. He coughed a little because some of the food went down the air pipe.

"Yeah, real smooth," Katara mocked. He frowned at her.

"Well, this has been nice, I think I'll be going to sleep now," Gohan said as he stood and started walking away, waving 'goodbye' over his shoulder.

He went to their apartment where all his stuff was. He entered and went straight to his room.

He saw the technique book that Tien and Choutzu gave him before he left. 'It's a little odd that I got this gift before this all happened. As a matter of fact, it's odd that I got any of these gifts before this happened. Well, it was the first time I had a party since… I guess they were just expressing gratitude.' He summed as he picked the book up and began to read the first pages.

They showed the basic stances for the Crane School that Tien used. He flipped the page and examined the more advanced stances. He flipped the page again and examined the techniques.

_'All of these techniques require control of your Ki to use. And I can't even form a weak Ki blast,'_ he thought sadly as he flipped another page.

An over exasperated sigh escaped his lips as he put the books down and set up his sleeping bag. He'd read the rest of it the next day. He was fast asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I hope you guys like this. If not, Meh. I was feeling Lazy and just had a not so good past two days.<strong>

**Yesterday was my birthday a and today is Valentine's day.**

**The only people to wish me happy birthday were my mom, baby brother, and grandma. I guess the rest of my family either didn't care or forgot.**

**Oh well. I figured I'd at least put up a chapter today.**

**Happy Valentine's day.**

**Read and Review**


	6. Chapter 6: Add on to Chap 5

ATLA chapter Six

Chapter Six

Gohan woke up to the low sounding whistling of Aang. He groggily rose to his feet.

He took in his surroundings immediately; Sokka was sleeping in his sleeping bag; Katara was asleep as well; and the Avatar was sitting cross legged while whistling happily.

"Good morning, Gohan," Aang greeted rather loudly, feeling happy about the day of Waterbending training.

"Good morning," Gohan greeted.

Katara began to stir awake from the commotion, drawing their attention back to her.

Gohan looked around for his power pole. He figured that he'd need more than one means to protect himself during his travels with the Avatar.

He had never wielded the indestructible pole in combat before and never actually trained with it.

"Good morning, Katara," he heard Aang greet the female Waterbender loudly.

"Good morning, Aang." Katara greeted.

Gohan found his pole and turned to the Waterbender." Good morning Katara," he greeted.

"Good morning, Gohan," she greeted with a little more enthusiasm in her voice.

"Katara, are you ready to be taught Waterbending?" Aang asked excitedly.

"Yes," she answered as the two took off out of the room.

Gohan strapped the pole to his back as he too exited apartment.

Immediately, he felt the brisk cold air assault his face when he stepped outside.

'This is exactly what I've missed about the Southern Water Tribe,' he thought sarcastically. He normally was never sarcastic but the cold weather was getting to him as he took a step forward.

Crunch

He took another step.

Crunch

This continued until he reached the smooth icy path that led to the animal stables. He saw that Appa was eating hay off to the side when he arrived.

"Hey there, big guy," he greeted upon arrival.

For some reason, a trait passed to him by Goku, most animals were naturally attracted to Gohan. To prove this, Appa licked him with his large tongue from toe to head, covering him in slimy saliva.

"Ah, you sure are a big fella, aren't ya?" He grinned as he rubbed the bison's head.

Appa made a noise that seemed to be an answer.

"Ok, buddy, I've got to start training," he said as he walked a good distance away from the bison.

He pulled the pole out of it's sheath and got into a stance he found suitable to wield the magical weapon and it glowed red as it magically adjusted it's length to accommodate for his height.

He adjusted his hand position slightly and nodded in approval.

If only he had a sparring partner to train with. He'd have to resort to fighting imaginary opponents.

He picked a person who's stance he could picture perfectly: his father's.

He pictured Goku and himself in an open plane outside their home in the four-thirty-nine mountain district.

Goku had his battle smirk on as he stared his son down. Gohan returned his own battle smirk as father and son got ready to spar.

Gohan stayed glued to his spot as Goku charged him. The older Saiyan attempted a leg sweep but Gohan hit away with the butt of the pole before sweeping it around to sweep Goku's leg from under him.

However, Goku kicked up with that leg and he had to move the pole to block it. But, because Goku was a fighting genius, he feigned the kick and shoved Gohan back.

The warm-up just started.

While Gohan was having an imaginary fight, Aang struggled with his Waterbending. Paku was a great teacher but Aang was having a hard time. And it wasn't any easier with the wise cracks the master shot at him.

Katara, reluctantly, joined Yugoda and the other female Waterbenders in a hut dedicated to the purpose of teaching the young girls how to properly heal because they weren't allowed to learn Waterbending in the North Pole.

After the class, Katara and Yugoda discovered that the latter knew Konna; Gran Gran.

Katara also discovered that Gran Gran fled to the Southern Water Tribe after being put in an arranged marriage.

Sokka, however, started with a good day that ended miserable when Princess Yue told him it was a mistake to ask him to meet her on a bridge that night and fled the bridge in a hurry.

The Water Tribe warrior even carved her a wooden fish as a token of friendship. But he threw it away after she quickly left.

Gohan finished his day of training and didn't even break a sweat as he returned to the apartment.

He arrived seconds after Sokka.

"-warrior training?" He heard Katara asking when he entered.

He saw that Aang was lying down with his lemur while Katara propped up on her elbow.

Sokka grunted angrily as he kicked his bag. It shuffled a few feet and he dropped to his knees before lying down, grumbling as he did so.

"That bad, huh?" Aang asked.

"No, It's Princess Yue," he answered. "I don't get it; one minute she wants to go out with me, the next, she's telling me to get lost," he said." How's Waterbending training?" he asked, wanting to get past his subject.

Now it was Aang's and Katara's turn to be upset as they both plopped down besides Sokka. Gohan simply went over to his side and lied down as well.

"Master poophead won't teach her because she's a girl," Aang answered sadly.

"Why don't you just teach her, Aang?" Sokka asked the monk.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Katara asked as she instantly cheered up. "At night, you can teach me all the moves you learned from Master Paku. That way, you'll have someone to train with and I'll learn Waterbending. Everyone's happy," she said.

"I'm not happy," Sokka mumbled.

"Yeah, but you're never happy." Katara waved his sorrow off." Come on Aang," she said to the monk as she raced out the door.

"So, how was warrior training?" Gohan asked Sokka as he got comfortable in his sleeping bag.

"It was alright, I guess. I'm just a little disappointed with what happened with Yue," Sokka sighed. "But why didn't you come to warrior training?" he asked curiously.

"I was training with my power pole," Gohan said as Momo leapt onto his stomach. "I don't want to rely solely on Firebending." He chuckled. "And besides, I doubt there is anything the training could teach me that I already don't know."

"What's so special about this pole?" Sokka asked as he took it out of it's sheath." What can you stab with this?" he asked before remembering that he asked Aang the same thing a few weeks ago." Wait, does this thing turn into something else?" he asked, scanning the pole for any secret latches.

"No, but it does extend to any length," Gohan said.

"You know, I wouldn't be surprised by that. What with all the things you've already told us," Sokka said.

"It's magic," Gohan informed him.

"Magic cloud, magic pole, what else do you have that's magic?" Sokka asked sarcastically, already feeling better.

"You'd be surprised," Gohan lightly chuckled as he closed his eyes for the night, leaving Sokka to ponder on what he meant by that.

He woke up to Katara lightly shaking him.

"Morning, Katara," he yawned as he stood to his feet and began stretching.

"Good morning, Gohan," she greeted." We've got a problem: Master Paku won't train Aang anymore. He found us practicing and told Aang he was no longer accepted as his pupil," she told him as she pointed her thumb over her shoulder at Aang and Sokka.

Gohan frowned. So much for a good morning without problems.

"What are we going to do then? Is Aang going to find a new master?" he asked as he finished his stretches.

"We're going to speak to Chief Arnook about this," she answered.

And so they did so; they retold the story to Arnook while Paku sat smugly next to him.

"What do you want me to do, force Master Paku to take Avatar Aang back as his student?" he questioned after hearing their case.

"Yes. Please?"?Katara answered pleadingly. She hadn't meant for this to happen. All she wanted was to learn Waterbending.

"I suspect that he'll change his mind if you swallow your pride and apologize," Arnook told her.

Gohan looked to Katara. He knew she wouldn't do that. He could tell by the way she was staring at Paku's smug form.

However, she surprised him when she seemed to be having some sort of inner struggle. A debate for whether or not she should apologize. She turned and looked back at Aang with a softened expression. She really didn't mean for things to turn out like this. She didn't want him to have to suffer because of her.

"Fine," she agree as she turned back to Paku.

"I'm waiting, little girl," Paku said slyly.

Gohan now definitely knew that any apology that was about to come out of her mouth wouldn't now. He just crossed a line.

"No! no way am I apologizing to a sour old man like you," she yelled, creating cracks in the floor as she pointed an angry finger at the man.

"Uh, Katara?" Aang tried to calm her down.

"I'll be outside if you're man enough to fight me," she said, earning a collective gasp from some people nearby.

She turned on heel and began walking out. Gohan jogged to keep up with her quick pace while Aang stayed behind to try and explain what she meant.

"Katara, you aren't serious about fighting him, are you?" he asked.

"Why wouldn't I be? He's a jerk," she said.

"Yeah, but you're not going to win. He's a master and you're… well, you aren't," he told her.

"I know," she said angrily as Sokka and Aang came after them.

"Are you crazy, Katara? You're not going to win this fight," Sokka told her.

"I know," she said angrily as she removed her coat and threw it at him." I don't care!"

"You don't have to do this for me; I can find another teacher," Aang told her.

"I'm not doing it for you; someone has to knock some sense into that guy," she said.

Once they reached the bottom, they turned to see Paku strolling leisurely down the steps.

"So, you've decided to show up?" she questioned with burning determination. As an answer, he walked right past her, a complete sign of disrespect." Aren't you going to fight?" she asked.

"Go back to the healing hut with the other women, where you belong," he said nonchalantly.

Gohan knew that Paku was just trying to provoke Katara into attacking first. A tactic used by many great warriors to get their opponent angry and sloppy.

'Wow, this guy really is a jerk,' he thought as Katara created a water whip and smacked Paku in the back of the head.

Paku stopped when he felt the stinging sensation at his head." Fine. You want to learn how to fight so bad… study closely," he said, turning devilishly towards her..

Gohan, Aang and Sokka watched on as Katara valiantly tried to best Paku in a fight.

Gohan kind of felt bad for his friend. After Jeong Jeong revealed that he was holding back in their spars, he knew what it looked like when a Master was holding back. And Paku had the same expression on his face that looked like like he was trying but was really stretched restraint.

Aang watched closely; knowing that Katara would lose but still holding faith that she could pull through with a miracle win.

Sokka didn't have a thought yet because he was hit with a stream of water at the beginning of the fight.

"Well, I'm impressed." Paku complimented after she tried to have him smashed by two pillars of ice. "You are an excellent Waterbender."

"But you still won't teach me, will you?" She questioned.

"No." He answered.

Katara grunted as she continued her assault on him with a wave of snow.

Paku dodged it by creating an arc with ice and sliding on it around to her and struck her! Causing her necklace to fall and her to be sent to the ground.

Gohan growled in frustration. It was hard for him to see his friends being beat. He never liked it.

Taking a step forward, he nearly sprang into action against Paku. But Sokka placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked back to see his friend shaking his head 'no' not to interfere.

Gohan took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. It was cold enough for him to see his breath in the air as he took a step back in time to see Paku deliver the fight finisher; he used ice shards to immobilize her.

The fight was finished.

"This fight is over." The master said as he began walking past Katara.

"Hey, come back here. I'm not finished yet." She tried to free herself.

"Yes… you are," Paku said as he continued into he came across her necklace on the floor. He bent down and picked up the necklace. Examining it closely, his eyes widened in realization." This is my necklace," he said softly

"No, it's mine. Now give it back," Katara demanded

"I made this sixty years ago for the love of my life; for Konna." He reminisced as he let his ice shards melt, releasing Katara from them.

"My Gran Gran was supposed to marry you?" Katara asked, bewildered.

Gohan, Sokka, Aang, Chief Arnook, and Princess Yue all stood behind Katara who stood a few yards behind Paku.

"I carved this necklace for your grandmother when we got engaged," Paku told them, not even looking back at them as he reflected on the day Konna went missing. "I thought we would have a long happy life together," he said." I loved her."

"But she didn't love you, did she?" Katara asked. "It was an arranged marriage… Gran Gran wouldn't let your tribe's stupid customs run her life. That's why she left," Katara said. "It must've taken a lot of courage."

Yue bursted into a fit of tears and took off. She was in the same situation. An arranged marriage that she didn't want to be in. But she was loyal to her people. And that meant she had no way of escaping the marriage she would soon be forced into.

**(I'm not sure what happens here or if I'm just missing something. Because in the next scene where Yue kisses Sokka, it's night time again. Someone help me out with this. Also, I'm not sure how much time passes between this episode and the "The Siege of the North, Part One" so in this story, it'll be two weeks.)**

As the days passed and turned into weeks, Sokka sparked a relationship with Yue that was strictly a friendship and nothing more.

Master Paku relented and allowed Katara to become one of his pupils, Aang progressed in his Waterbending too. But not as fast as Katara, who seemed to be a prodigy when it came to Waterbending.

Gohan also progressed in his own training. In fact, he was becoming so great at wielding the Power Pole that he even decided to join Sokka in warrior training.

There wasn't much stuff they told him that he already didn't know. But a refresher course is always good.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This chapter might seem rushed but it was actually supposed to go at the end of the last chapter. It's my fault it didn't go because I thought I Copy and Pasted it from my notes. For those of you who don't already know, I do my stories from my iPhone so it also takes a little longer than what it would be if I used my computer.<strong>

**Remember to Read and Review.**


	7. Chapter 7: The Siege Starts

ATLA chapter seven

Chapter Seven

Admiral Zhao, after witnessing the blue flames emitted from that boy with Jeong Jeong, sat silently fuming in his chambers in the lead ship that was leading the siege of the North Pole. He was furious! He had heard of the prophecy like all the other higher ups in the Fire Nation. They all knew.

Many of them wished it was nothing more than just a hoax! That the prophecy would never come true. Zhao himself wished it so the most so he could court the Princess when she reached marrying age!

He had remembered the first time he saw the Fire Nation Princess. She sat elegantly next to her father looking beautiful as always.

So what if he was over thirty-five years older than her!? He deserved a beautiful maiden that was powerful.

He soon found himself shaking with barely restrained rage as he thought of the prophecy.

But then a smirk plastered itself on his face as he came up with a brilliant idea: he'd just kill the boy and the prophecy wouldn't come true. He'd just have to go back, find the boy, and kill him.

He has no qualm about killing a child if it meant getting what he wanted. And what he wanted was the Princess to be his.

However, what he was doing could be considered high treason if the Fire Lord were to find out.

Ozai wanted the prophecy to come true so he could mold who was said to become the most powerful bender alive to his bidding.

Zhao was a little conflicted on whether or not he should just write a message about the boy and send it via messenger hawk.

But he quickly put an end to the conflicted feeling he had. His desire for the Princess far outshines his fear of the Fire Lord.

But little did Zhao know, one of his high ranking soldiers that were with him and had also witnessed the blue Firebending had already written a message to the Fire Sages to deliver to the Fire Lord, hoping to be promoted for turning in Zhao for not immediately relaying the information to Ozai.

* * *

><p>Gohan stood in the animal stables with Appa. The chilled air breezing lightly against his still form. His hair shoulder length messy-hair waving softly, tickling his neck as he rubbed Appa's head. He had grown quite fond of the large flying animal. As did Appa with him. Though, not as mush as he is with Aang.<p>

Ah, the Avatar. Gohan had gotten to know Aang pretty well over the course of the past weeks. They were friends.

Katara progressed rapidly in Waterbending training. Something she often talked to Gohan about whenever she had the chance to.

Sokka had been joined by Gohan in warrior training and both teens started a sort of competition between them. Which inspired the other young men to try harder too. But, of course Gohan was holding back significantly.

Right now, Katara was sparring with another student of Paku while Aang played in the snow with Momo the lemur.

Sokka was with Yue. Having a good time walking and talking about his life in the Southern Water Tribe.

Gohan stood next to Appa; staring out at the ocean, he was able to see black clouds on the horizon. He frowned as he extended his senses.

He could sense a large amount of people slowly approaching.

"It's some sort of invasion," he mumbled as he patted Appa on the head. "Nimbus!" he shouted into the sky, summoning the yellow cloud.

The cloud zoomed in low and stopped abruptly next to him. He hopped onto it and ordered it to move forward.

He stopped it in the air high above the fleet of ships. "They must be planning on taking the Northern Water Tribe," he said. 'I've got to go warn the chief,' he thought as Nimbus turned around and headed straight back to the Water Tribe.

On his way back, he met Yue and Sokka half way there. They were about four seconds from kissing when he abruptly stopped. The latter surprised to see him on a yellow cloud!

"Sokka, there's a Fire Nation invasion," he pointed over his thumb." We've got to warn the chief and prepare for it," he said.

"Oh no," Yue gasped.

A gray snowflake dwindled into Sokka's line of sight. Soot mixed with snow. It's what happens when the Fire Nation's warships get near. The soot that rose from the ships into the air.

Sokka nodded in agreement before steering Appa around. Gohan flew on ahead and Nimbus let him off near the palace and entered the ice structure on foot.

"Ah, brother Gohan, what brings you here?" Arnook asked.

"Th-" Gohan started but was rudely interrupted by a screaming woman.

"It's the Fire Nation! They're invading!" She ran circles around Gohan in a panic.

Gohan nodded in confirmation when the chief looked to him. He stood by as many of the villagers gathered in to here the word of their chief.

When Katara and the others entered, Gohan saw the worried expression on her face as he sat next to her near the front.

He squeezed her shoulder in a reassuring, comforting manner.

"The day we have feared for so long has arrived," Arnook started." The Fire Nation is on our doorstep. It is with great sadness that I call my family here before me; knowing well that some of these are about to vanish from our tribe." He paused. "But they will never vanish from our hearts. Now, as we approach the battle for our existence, I call upon the great spirits; Spirit of the ocean, Spirit of the moon, be with us," he pleaded with his arms spread." Now, I will need volunteers for a dangerous mission," he announced.

Sokka immediately stood up." Count me in," he said, determined.

"Sokka?" Katara questioned.

Gohan didn't stand. Even though he wanted to. He also wanted to be on the front line to prevent as many deaths as possible.

"Now, be warned, many of you will not return." He gestured to them. "Come forward to receive my mark if you accept my task," Arnook said.

The gang watched as Sokka walked forward after another man in front of him and get the mark. It was three horizontal curvy lines on his forehead.

After this, Gohan stood with his arms crossed next to Aang, who was perched up on a small, round pillar. They were staring out into the sea from there.

"The stillness before battle is unnameable. Such a quite dread," Arnook said as he and Katara approached from behind.

"I wasn't there when the Fire Nation attacked my people," Aang started slowly." I'm gonna make a difference this time." He stood up.

* * *

><p>Just hours later, Gohan stood next to Sokka and Katara as they stared out at the slow approaching fleet of ships. Aang sat on top of Appa's head to his left.<p>

He breathed in through his nose slowly as he looked out at the water. He exhaled slowly as he pulled his Power Pole out to a ready position in his hand.

To his right and left, Water Tribe warrior stood ready for battle. He knew that with the amount of energies he sensed, a lot of lives would be lost soon.

Just then, a flaming rock came soaring towards them.

Acting fast, Gohan mentally shouted, 'Power Pole extend!' The magical weapon extended as he swung it down fast.

Whack

Gohan hit the flaming, oil doused rock towards the water. Several more came and he kept defending the village with practiced ease.

Aang took initiative and flew with Appa to the first few ships to try and sabotage them so they wouldn't be able to fire at them again.

This went on for hours. Aang disabled ships and Gohan defended the tribe. Only some blast actually made it into the city. But they were stopped by Paku and his students.

While that was happening, Sokka was with some other young men trying to formulate a plan to infiltrate the Fire Nation Navy with outdated uniforms. Sokka quickly informed them of the newer design after he laughed a little.

"Yah!" Gohan exerted as he smacked one final blast out of trajectory.

"They're ceasing fire!" someone exclaimed.

"Phew." Gohan silently relieved as he dropped his stance. 'Power Pole retract,' he thought as he turned to see if any damage had been done from the blast he couldn't stop.

He was glad to see that Paku and his students kept everything safe.

He looked around for Katara. 'Where'd she go?' se asked himself as he began sensing for her.

He looked back at the palace and saw Katara and Yue standing together. The sun was setting and since it seemed as if there would be no more attacks that night, Gohan quickly made his way over to them.

He arrived a little over a minute later. "Hey, are you two alright?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

"Yeah, we're fine." Katara answered. "That pole… how long does it get? Is it harder than metal?" she asked as she reached for his weapon.

"That's good to hear. And I'm not sure how long it reaches. But it is indestructible," he answered as he let her inspect it.

"Where'd you get such a weapon?" Yue asked curiously.

"It belonged to my dad. But before him, it was his grandpa's; my namesake. I'm not sure who had it before him though," he answered. 'It was probably Roshi Korin,' he thought as Aang touched down with near them.

"I can't do it," he mumbled to himself as he slid down Appa and landed on his rear with his hands on his face and elbows on his knees. He looked stressed and worn out. "I must've taken out a dozen Fire Navy ships but there's just too many of them," he said sadly as he looked up at them."I can't fight them all." He looked down.

Gohan felt a little guilty for not hopping on Nimbus and helping him but quickly diminished the feeling. If he had went, there would probably be several casualties, something he'd blame himself for.

"But you have to; you're the Avatar." Yue grabbed Aang's attention once more, sounding pleadingly.

"I'm just one kid," Aang countered weakly as he rested his head between his knees.

Gohan understood what Aang was feeling, having the weight of the world on his shoulders at such a young age. It reminded him of how he had to defeat Cell.

He sighed as he turned and looked at the Fire Nation battle ships that lined up by the dozens.

'Maybe he doesn't have to be the one to bring an end to this war,' he thought as he removed his coat to allow for better mobility. 'Maybe I'll go defeat the Fire Lord if he's not up to the task.'

Katara handed him the Power Pole and he gripped it tightly as he waited for the start of this siege.

And wait is what they did. Soon, the group of two boys and two girls found themselves at an windowsill in a hallway in the palace that had a view of the ocean over the city.

But Gohan didn't look out. He knew that full moon was out and didn't want to risk transforming into an Great Ape and kill everyone.

"Legend says that the moon was the first Waterbender. Our ancestors saw how it pushed and pulled the tides and learned how to do it themselves," Yue told them as she and Katara gazed out at moon.

Aang had his head low resting on his arms while Gohan was facing away from the moon, at the other side of the hall.

"I always noticed my Waterbending is stronger at night," Katara commented.

"Our power comes from the spirit of the moon. Our life comes from the spirit of the ocean. They work together to keep balance," Yue told them.

Aang's face lit up into a cheeky grin. "Spirits," he said while suddenly standing." Maybe I can find them and get their help," he suggested.

"How can you do that?" Yue asked.

"The Avatar is the bridge between our world and the spirit world. He can talk to them," Katara said, sounding more cheerful.

"Maybe they can give you the wisdom to win this battle," Yue said.

"Or maybe they'll unleash an awesome spirit attack on the Fire Nation!" He exclaimed, sounding a little too enthusiastic. He was met with blank stares as a reply.

"Or wisdom. That's good too." He leaned against the ledge, cooly.

"The only problem is," Katara started while looking to Aang." Last time you got to the spirit world by accident. How are you gonna get there this time?" she asked.

"I have an idea. Follow me." Yue ordered as she began walking away.

While this was happening, Sokka had been kicked off the super secret mission for attacking the chiefs future son-in-law.

But Chief Arnook had an ulterior motive for doing so. He wanted Sokka to protect his daughter. It was a job that Sokka readily accepted.

Yue took them to an area where only very few have been: the center of all Spiritual Energy.

Gohan looked at a strange wooden door that was round, making a person who would want to enter crouch. He could feel a weird energy behind the door as Yue stood by it.

"So is this the way to the spirit world?" Aang asked as he went to the door.

Yue chuckled lightly before responding."No, you'll have to get there on your own," she told him. "But I can take you to the most spiritual place in the entire North Pole," she said as she opened the door.

Aang entered, followed by Katara, Gohan, and finally Yue. The half-Saiyan's eyes widened upon entering.

Inside, between two mountains of ice, a small mound of land in a small bed of water was covered in grass with two trees, a shrine, and a small pond in the middle with two fish in it.

'How bizarre,' Gohan thought.' It's so warm in here. But there's also a lot of energy here.'

He looked back at the palace and couldn't believe the sharp contrast in temperature.

He followed Katara and Yue to the small land and saw Aang rolling around in the grass.

"I never thought I'd miss grass so much," Aang commented.

"How is it so warm here?" Katara asked Yue.

"This place is the center of all spiritual energy," Yue answered.

In the pond, Momo tried fishing for one if the fish, earning glares from both Water Tribe girls.

"You're right Yue. I can feel something. It so… tranquil," Aang said calmly as he sat and crossed his legs in a meditative position with his fist together by his knuckles.

Gohan also felt serene. No doubt an effect from being in this spiritually-tuned area.

A few minutes passed and Gohan wondered if Aang had passed into the spirit world. It sure seemed like he did with the way he was so still and quite.

"Why is he sitting like that?" Yue asked not at all quietly.

"He's meditating," Katara answered in the same loud tone of voice. "Trying to cross over into the spirit world. It takes all his concentration," she explained.

"Is there anything we could do to help?" Yue asked.

"How about some quite!?" Aang suddenly snapped, having lost his concentration as soon as Yue first asked her question. He turned to them with a irritated expression. "Come on guys, I can hear every word you're saying," he half-shouted at them.

Gohan simply shrugged and closed his eyes. Not interested in watching Aang meditate. He began his tune his senses in on the Fire Nation soldiers to keep tabs on them.

A few seconds later, he heard Yue gasp and he felt Aang's power spike as he snapped his eyes open in alarm; only to see Aang's tattoos glowing white while he was still in the Avatar state.

'What the… ?' he began to question until he recalled what Katara told him about Aang's Avatar State.' So this is it,' he thought as Katara explained what was happening to Yue.

"He'll be fine as long as we don't move his body. That's his only way back to the physical world," Katara finished.

"Maybe we should get some help," Yue suggested nervously as she made to move forward.

"No." Katara stopped her." He's my friend. I'm perfectly capable of protecting him," She said. She was going to add on that Gohan was there too but a voice spoke from the side of her.

"Well… aren't you a big girl now," Zuko mocked from the small bridge.

"No," Katara gasped as she and Gohan turned to the Fire Nation Prince.

"Yes." Zuko replied in a creepy tone, seemingly not noticing Gohan. "Hand him over and I won't have to hurt you," he demanded.

Katara immediately got into her Waterbending stance as Yue hurried away.

"So, I'm guessing you're Zuko, right?" Gohan questioned, making his presence known as he stood besides Katara. "I got this, Katara," he said confidently as he handed her his Power Pole.

"I suggest you leave or I'll be forced to hurt you," Gohan told Zuko.

Zuko just sneered at him as a reply.

"I guess you leave me no choice," Gohan said as he slipped into his stance.

Zuko only grunted as he kicked a fire blast at him before punching and kicking more.

But Gohan diminished the flames and fired his blue fire blast at Zuko from his left hand.

"What?" Zuko gasped, pausing. That was a mistake he'd pay as he was knocked on his back by the flame.

Gohan pressed his advantage and fired two more fire blast before jumping and kicking two more fire blasts at the downed banished Prince.

Zuko barely had time to come to his senses as he rolled out of the way.

But that's what the half-Saiyan wanted him to do as he shuffled his feet on the grass. Sending a low wall of fire at Zuko's feet.

Knowing that he'd jump, Gohan hopped up and kicked a stream downward blade of fire from his left foot. Before he landed, he twisted one hundred and eighty degrees and kicked a fire blast out of his right foot before catching himself and springing to his feet besides Katara.

Zuko couldn't block or dodge any of the blue flames and they downed him again. Though he had been Firebending for more time, he had less skill than the prodigy half-Saiyan that reminded him of his sister; Azula.

Thinking quick, Katara quickly used Waterbending to trap him to the wall of the mountain, turning the water to ice as soon as he was pressed against the mountain.

Exhausted from his failed attempt to fight Gohan, Zuko lost consciousness as his head hung limp.

"He wasn't much of a challenge." Gohan smiled at Katara as she gave him back his Power Pole.

"Well, none of us are Firebenders like you, nor were we trained properly at the time of our last encounters. I could've beat him right now too, she said.

"I bet," he replied happily as he folded his arms across his chest.

He knew Katara was a great Waterbender and had confidence in her ability to defeat Zuko if need be.

He had known her for several months, she was nice, brave, encouraging. She was someone that he didn't want to hurt or disappoint.

He stared at Katara. He found her attractive and liked her. He didn't know how to comprehend the new emotions he felt. Sure, Vegeta had explained Saiyan mating to him but he wasn't sure how to handle... that.

And Katara was more like a younger sister to him. She couldn't be his mate could she? 'Katara probably doesn't even like me like that,' he thought.' Wait, why am I worried about this right now? There's far more important things to worry about. Like, how am I even going to get home.'

He hadn't given up hope that Bulma would find a way to retrieve him or the Eternal Dragon to get him.

Sighing, he figured he would deal with this all later.

"When do you think he'll return to his body?" he asked, curious about Aang's state of being.

"It took several hours last time." She answered.

Gohan nodded. 'What could take so long in there?' he wondered.

A few silent minutes passed." The moon sure is beautiful tonight," Katara said in awe, trying to start a conversation.

Knowing he couldn't look up at the moon, Gohan said," I wouldn't know."

Katara raised an eyebrow at that. "What do you mean?" she asked, curious.

"I can't look up at the moon," he told her as he looked away, showing that he didn't want to go any further in the conversation.

He hadn't looked at the full moon ever! Well, he did, one time, but he never remembered doing so. And that was nearly ten years ago.

Piccolo even destroyed the moon on his earth. So he never actually seen it before when it as full. Only the reflection that time on Kyoshi island.

Katara made a mental note to ask him later.

They stood by for hours in a comforting silence as the night passed, waiting for Aang to return to his body.

The sun began to rise and Gohan could sense the Fire Nation soldiers getting close.

"They're getting closer. It's starting." Gohan said as he turned to the exit of the spiritual land.

"Are you going to go?" Katara asked.

"I…" he didn't know what to do. He looked back at the seemingly unconscious Zuko. He couldn't leave her alone with him. What if he woke up?

Knowing what his dilemma was, Katara said,"Go, I can handle Zuko if he wakes up," she told him.

Nodding, Gohan replied,"Be safe."

He sped off towards the front line. He arrived at the front of the palace in time to see the first ship breach the outer wall.

He saw the Fire Nation soldiers charging in with their war cries to commence battle with the Water Tribe warriors.

He pulled out his Power Pole and began down the flight of stairs, skipping four or more steps at a time.

Today, he was going to try and prevent as much deaths as possible.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I know this is a short chapter, but who's really worried about that?<strong>

**I've decided to go about doing two-three chapters per episode. So if you have very thin patience, I apologize.**

**And to reply to some people worried about character bashing; I love all the characters of ATLA except Ozai. He wasn't really a good villain in my eyes.**

**And if I were going to bash on Aang, I'd have kept Gohan's metabolism high and have him eat Appa and Momo, and then destroy all the air temples while he makes out with Katara in his face. But not after having Gohan kill the Fire Lord.**

**But like I said, I won't be doing those things. But… I have thought about a fight between Ozai and Gohan.**

**And Zhao… I don't think it's out of Character for him to like Azula and wanting to court her. But, do you guys think Gohan would kill him for killing the fish after he found out Yue and the moon spirit were connected? It's just something I've been mulling over for the past hour.**

**Then there's also the possibility of Gohan going Oozaru next chapter. Who knows?**

**Tell me what you all think in your reviews.**


	8. Chapter 8: The Siege Ends

The early morning sun shined bright in the sky as Gohan approached the front line with a quick, swift pace.

The defeater of Cell felt the star in the sky radiating power, fueling him with more power.

He could see that Fire Nation had outnumbered the Water Tribe warriors with his sensing ability and could hear the sounds of gears grinding with the crushing of ice beneath heavy metal.

He arrived at the front line and saw the first fleet of soldiers marching towards them.

He tightened his grip on his Power Pole as he set his jaw with determination. The Fire Nation Navy had breached the outer wall and was quickly reaching the inner wall to breach it.

It would take a while for them to reach it, but he was ready for when it happened.

While he was ready for the battle he was soon to engage in, Katara was not prepared for the cheap-shot the freshly awakened Zuko had dealt her and was helpless to stop the banished Prince from taking the defenseless Avatar's body.

Gohan had a nagging feeling telling him he shouldn't have left the young Water Tribe girl but he didn't have time to be bothered by it as he and several other Water Tribe warriors rushed forward at the Fire Nation soldiers that now breached the inner wall and was fast approaching them.

He locked his eyes on a Fire Nation soldier that was clearly eager for battle. He could tell by the devious grin on his face and the fire already appearing at his right hand.

Thinking quick, he hit the hand with the butt of the pole before maneuvering around and striking the man on the head with the tip of the pole.

He didn't stop to check the extent of the damage he inflicted as he went on to the next soldier. But if he did stop to look, he would've saw that his Power Pole obliterated the helmet and fractured the man's skull, leaving him unconscious and gushing blood.

Even though his goal wasn't to kill them, he didn't compensate for their physical weakness to his far above average strength when attacking them.

The difference between their energy levels suggested that he didn't have to pull any punches. So his blows dealt more damage than what he intended them to. Luckily, they were wearing armor or he probably would've crippled them for life.

He didn't notice the immense pain he was causing until he watched a dozen men back away in fear and surround him.

He saw their trembling hands and shaky stances as their eyes looked past him at their fallen comrades.

He spared a quick glance back and saw some of the injured, crying, downed soldiers spilling crimson blood onto the white ground.

Reaching out with his senses, he could tell that none of them were dead. Fatally injured? Maybe. He didn't get that well of a look at them.

Finding some nerve, one of the soldiers that surrounded him, ignited a flame in his palm, prompting the others to follow his lead. They had strength in numbers. Surely over a dozen Firebenders could overpower a Water Tribe runt.

Gohan stared as the first one to ignite a flame made the subtle movement that suggested he was about to attack and created a ball of fire in time to save himself from their attacks.

Their eyes widened in alarm when they saw the blue fire. Though none of them actually met or even seen the Princess, they knew she was the only one to possess the ability to conjure up that color fire.

Now fearing for their lives, they all ran away towards their boat.

As they fled, what Gohan could only describe as a rhino with a man on it charged at him with the rider already punching flames at him.

He ducked under the blasts and seemingly opened himself up to be stomped by the rhino but he surprised the rider by kicking up and sending the beast on it's back, knocking the rider off in the process.

Satisfied with this, Gohan wasted no time on finding and dispatching of as many solders as possible.

This continued for hours and Gohan hadn't yet felt the effects of not having food and water for over a day because the adrenaline he had right now wouldn't allow him to succumb to the hunger or thirst.

He had been sure to ease up on his blows that he dealt with his Power Pole and strategically only hit pressure points and weak spots of the human body.

If there was ever a time he was actually glad he studied the human anatomy, now would be it.

During the day, he had picked up the slack from most of the Waterbenders and kept the soldiers from entering the city.

But the sun soon began to fall and he was losing more and more power as the moon began to rise. Even though he used his Firebending sparingly. He was sure that if he used it every chance he got, he would've been too tired to even stand.

Soon, he discovered that the Waterbenders were picking up his slack! But, not all of it because someone managed to sneak past them.

He continued his restless defense of the city as the Fire Nation troops seemingly endlessly arrived.

When things were looking up and he thought they would win, disaster struck!

The light the moon shined turned from its natural hue to a deep red color, causing the Waterbenders to lose control of the water they were bending and suddenly become defenseless.

And to make the situation worst, Gohan looked up at the sky in hopes to find the problem. But he forgot one thing; the moon was full that night!

He looked at the full moon and felt something in him snap and it was as if his mind was suddenly being washed over by a cloud of primal rage. His Saiyan instincts awakened.

He didn't have any coherent thoughts as as his eyes started to glow a deep blood red and his heart started to beat loudly, catching the attention of everyone nearby.

His body went stiff and his muscles began to pulsate with power as his tail ripped a hole in his pants, his body starting to rapidly growing hair.

"What in the world!? someone randomly shouted as Gohan began to grow in size.

Above, the Gaang was flying over to the oasis, not knowing what was happening down below.

Gohan's muscles started to bulge and the string on the sheath for his Power Pole snapped just like his clothes begin to tear and fall apart. He dropped the Power Pole as his body continued to glow.

Soon, everyone watched the scary transformation until it was complete, revealing a giant ape!

"GGRROOAARR!" the mighty Oozaru roared as it stomped it's foot down, creating a small crater under the sheer force.

* * *

><p>"I am a legend now!" the Admiral declared. "The Fire Nation will now for generations tell stories about the great Zhao who darkened the moon-"<p>

"GGRROOAARR!" he was cut off by a monstrous sound.

But he shrugged it off as the Water Tribe trying to scare him.

At the same time, Aang, Katara, and Sokka landed and were also surprised by this. Yue and a hog-tied Zuko were left in the saddle and the latter woke up with a start upon hearing the sound.

* * *

><p>The Oozaru Gohan felt several little stings hit his leg and looked down at Fire Nation soldiers that attacked out of fear because they were too afraid to turn and run.<p>

In agitation, he raised his foot and brought it down on the group of Firebenders, effectively stopping them as well as killing them.

Blaff! Blaff! Blaff!

He was hit by three blasts and looked out to the ocean and saw more blasts coming at him from the ships that were there.

He raised his huge hand and the blast hit it, failing to do any damage on impact.

Opening his huge maw, a wide stream of blue fire jetted towards the front row of ships.

He closed his mouth and looked at the devastation it caused, unsatisfied with the result, he pounded hard on his chest before shooting out a powerful blast of fire so hot it seemed white.

This time, the result did seem to satisfy him as he looked up and let out booming growl. However, one Ship survived the initial blast and it was close to the outer wall, obscured by the outer wall. It was amazing that it wasn't destroyed.

But, just as sudden as the moon went red, it completely left the sky all together.

The Oozaru jerked forward, starting to salivate as it started to regress back to it's normal form.

Gohan shrunk down to his normal form and fell down on his face. Naked.

Fire Nation soldiers found confidence in this and began to march forward again. It began to look like a victory for them again.

Gohan was out for the count and the Waterbenders were done for as well. Someone thoughtfully rescued the Saiyan from his unconscious form.

And when things began to look grim, a faint glow from behind the palace started to glow blue and the glow grew and took the form of a fish with arms and legs. The Ocean Spirit! It went all around; traveling through the water and taking out Fire Nation soldiers.

It was able to distinguish friend from foe because Water Tribesman bowed deeply in respect. Gohan's prone form was interpreted as friend.

The water spirit continued to the very edge of the Water Tribe and doused the flames that were on the Fire Navy ships and pushed the melted metal wreckage out to sea. There were no survivors.

As this was happening, Yue gave her life to the moon spirit. Thus, causing the moon to return to its original glory.

Seeing this, Avatar Aang fell out of the Avatar state and the ocean spirit retreated back to the spirit oasis. But not before stopping to take Zhao and drown him.

Zuko reached out with his hand to try and save Zhao. And, surprisingly, Zhao grabbed it. He had unfinished business with a certain spiky-haired child.

Zuko, then he met up with his uncle and fled the Northern Water Tribe on drift wood.

Zhao somehow also managed to escape on a separate piece of drift wood. But the only thing keeping him determined was the desire to kill two brats.

Zuko had squashed his pride by helping him and he wanted to kill Gohan so he could have the Princess. Both of them were on his wanted list. But he also couldn't believe he accepted help from the banished Prince. It sickened him.

The battle was over and there were very few Water Tribe casualties. Thanks to one Son Gohan. Speaking of the half-Saiyan, he was taken to the healer Yugoda to see if anything had happened to him by a random warrior.

She told the man who brought him there that there was nothing wrong with him and that he just needed rest.

"He's not an ordinary boy," the man told her while examining his tail.

"You are correct. He is clearly not normal," Yugoda told him.

"The word is… this boy's a spirit," he started cryptically. "That he was sent by the spirits to help tip the scales in the war," he continued. "And that is why his Firebending is blue. To symbolize his goodness," he finished.

"I don't doubt the possibility," Yugoda said.

"I'll go tell the Avatar and his friends not to worry about him," the man said as he dashed out of the room, feeling useful.

Katara and Aang, after a few moments of silently mourning Yue, went off in search for Gohan while Sokka went to break the bad news to Arnook.

"Where do you think he is?" Aang asked while searching high and low.

"I don't know, but I'm worried," Katara said with uneasiness evident in her voice. They all heard those monstrous growls earlier and right now, her brain was working against her hopes; coming up with bizarre scenarios in which Gohan was eaten by some sort of creature.

"Hey!" a man grabbed their attention as he came jogging up to them. "Your friend, the spirit boy, he's ok," he told them.

Katara had a very relieved look on her face as she visibly relaxed. "Thank the spir - wait! What'd you just call him?" she questioned.

"Didn't you know? That boy is a spirit," the man said. "Didn't you all see his attack on the Fire Nation?" he asked, grabbing the attention of several nearby men.

"Yeah, your friend turned into a huge monkey and destroyed the Fire Nation," a young man from the side shouted.

Katara and Aang looked at the men as if they had grown a spider-snake out of their faces. It was clear that they didn't believe them.

Master Paku, who had also been nearby and witnessed the attack came forward. "Pupils, it's true. The spirits are definitely on our side," he said with a serious face before it turned into a smile.

"Where's Gohan now?" Katara asked the first man.

"He's resting in Yugoda's med room. He's out cold. I suggest you all go rest for the night too. Then go and visit your friend," he answered.

The two of three reluctantly left to their apartment for the night. They were surprisingly tired because they slept long and hard for nearly ten hours.

When they woke up, they, Sokka and Momo, made their way over to see Gohan. On the way, they heard tales of the night before and couldn't believe some of the stuff being told.

'Really? A golden giant monkey turned into a monkey man with red fur and destroyed the Fire Nation Navy? Yeah right,' Sokka scoffed mentally.

When they entered the hut, they saw Gohan stretching, doing his normal morning routine and he surprisingly didn't have a scratch on him. It would be hard to believe that he went into battle.

"Huh? Oh, hey guys," he greeted them happily upon seeing them.

Katara hugged him, glad to see that he was ok after he gave her quite the scare the night before.

"How you feeling, buddy?" Sokka asked as he wrist bumped the younger boy when he finished hugging Katara.

"Feeling great," Gohan answered.

"That's good to hear," Aang said. "We heard that you fought in the front line of the battle," he said with a small hint of admiration in his voice.

"Yeah, we also heard you turned into some sort of giant monkey," Sokka said.

"What?!" Gohan exclaimed as his eyes widened in horror. Did he really transform last night? Oh blast it all! He couldn't remember. He only remembered falling asleep and waking up with clothes laid out for him.

"Why do you sound so alarmed?" Katara asked. "You wiped out the entire Fire Navy," she told him.

'I can't believe it. How could I be so stupid!' he mentally beat himself up. 'I could've killed everyone,' he thought as he tried hard not to look sad.

"Did I hurt anyone?" he asked with his head hung in shame.

"Well…" Sokka drew the answer out. "Only those Fire Nation jerks," he said as he patted Gohan on the back.

"I see," Gohan sighed.

"So is it true?" Katara suddenly asked. "Are you a spirit?" she asked.

He had told her he was from a different world and she assumed it was the spirit world. But he had never confirmed that.

"I'll explain later," he told her as he began walking out of the room. "I need time to think," he said as he left.

They respected his privacy and let him leave. He sure was acting a little strange.

He immediately darted to the animal stables and dropped to his knees as he began punching the ground as hard and as fast as he could.

He transformed into an Oozaru and could've killed everyone. And it would've been all his fault. His knuckles began to bleed and he still kept going, not even caring for the tremors he was causing.

He didn't stop until he started crying angry tears. He had been so close to losing them all. So close.

He sighed as he sat on his rear and looked down between his feet with his arms resting on his knees.

'I can't ever look up at the full moon again,' he thought as his tail snaked into his field of vision.

He could've trained to control the monstrous form of the Oozaru, but there were no places he could safely train.

He'd figure out what to do later. Right now, he needed time to himself.

* * *

><p>At the Capitol of the Fire Nation, in the palace, Fire Lord Ozai sat in his throne room with his daughter, Azula, on her knees bowing in front of him.<p>

"Iroh is a traitor, Zhao is a traitor, Zuko is a failure," he started. "I have a task for you," he told her.

She looked up at him with determined, fiery eyes.

"You will capture the Avatar, and someone else," he said.

She silently waited for him to continue.

"There is a boy. He's most likely traveling with the Avatar," he said.

"Father, if I may ask,what is special about him?" she inquired.

"He's a Firebender that can create blue fire," he told her and watched slightly amused as her expression fell. He knew she prided herself on being the only Firebender that could bend blue fire.

She wanted to deny his claim. To say it wasn't true. But she was also intrigued by this so she decided not to say anything.

"He's your age with black eyes and is a little taller than you. Your goal is to capture - not to kill - him at any cost. Use all your resources," he told her.

"As you wish, father. But-" he cut her reply off with a hand gesture.

"If he's with the Avatar, he's probably not going to take kind to you. But you mustn't take his lack of understanding of our culture to heart because he won't know who you are or what you are," he told her. "You are dismissed," he told her, leaving her with more questions.

Without any delay, Azula left with her chin up high. She was annoyed and excited about the prospect of meeting another Firebender that could make blue fire.

But she also felt something odd. Like she had some sort of connection with whoever was out there. It wasn't like a family connection but it was just as strong.

She didn't like it one bit. She'd have to wait and find out if the stupid feeling went away or not.

* * *

><p>"Did you see that?" Barkarot grinned with pride as he watched his descendent defeat the Prince with ease.<p>

He was allowed back to view the way things turned out with Lord Whis and Agni.

"That's my boy." He clapped silently.

"Barkarot, please, pray tell, why are you here again?" Agni asked impatiently.

"To watch my descendent," the Super Saiyan God answered simply.

"Do you really have to comment on the fight?" Agni demanded.

"I think you're just upset that he mopped the floor with your descendent. So much for being Royal," Barkarot laughed.

Agni was ready to explode and unleash hellish fury on the Super Saiyan God.

"Silence." Whis stopped Barkarot's laughter and Agni's anger with a simple word as he stared down at the scene beneath him. "Barkarot, I allowed you to return because he is your family and because you are a God. But, I'll send you back in an instant if you do not behave," he warned.

Agni smirked at the sudden paleness that overtook the Saiyan's face.

"Sorry, venerable God," Barkarot bowed in apology.

"Just don't let it happen again," Whis said as they all three turned their attention back to the living world.

Time passed and they watched as Gohan went to work fighting against the Fire Nation soldiers, Barkarot beaming with pride the entire time.

"Now he's fighting my people," Agni complained. He wanted the boy to burn the other people, not his people.

"That's because he's a kind soul. He does the right thing only," Barkarot told him.

"What's this?" Agni questioned as the moon's light started to turn red.

"Whoa! He's an Oozaru!" Barkarot exclaimed. "I thought you said he didn't have his Saiyan powers," he said with a slight smile.

"He just can't use Ki. It's far more destructive than fire," Whis explained.

"Does this mean he can transform into a Super Saiyan?" Barkarot asked with hope.

"Yes, if he knew he could," Whis said.

"But when we saw inside his head, his Ascended Super Saiyan form was trapped inside of him," Barkarot said.

"That's his full power locked inside of him. Even if he was to transform, he wouldn't be that powerful. His comrade back home named Yamcha would be able to take him. But, he would be the most powerful one here on this earth by far," Whis explained.

Agni felt like he had been duped. His anger exploded and he turned into a white hot flame as he pointed at the God of Creation.

"You tricked me!" he seethed. "You said that brat wouldn't be able to access that power," he accused.

"What's it matter to you? So what if the kid is powerful? You're acting like he just killed your people," Barkarot pointed down at the scene just in time for them to see Gohan stomp on a group of Firebenders.

…

…

"*sigh* he just killed your people," Barkarot sighed

"This is why he shouldn't have any of those Saiyan powers," Agni glared down at the boy as if he was going to will him to combust into flames.

"He might not be in control this time, but I'm sure it'll never happen again," Barkarot assured them.

"Are you really allowing this to happen? My people are being killed," Agni complained to Whis even though he really didn't care. There were meant to be casualties in wars. But this was absurd.

"In due time," Whis told him. "I'm sure this will all work out for the best," he said.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I hope you enjoyed it.<strong>

**I read up on some facts about Agni to try and get a better grasp of his character. It was too boring so I took my nieces and nephews to the movies.**

**Read and Review**.


	9. Chapter 9: Fong's plan

ATLA chapter nine

A day passed since the Siege of the North. A day since Gohan went ape and a day since Yue died. Gohan didn't really take it well. He blamed himself at first for not actually stopping Zhao from entering the city. But, he didn't let it get to him. Blaming himself wouldn't do anything but hurt himself.

What did get to him was the fact that he transformed into a Oozaru and could've killed everyone.

Now, on a boat adrift at sea, the gang of Four were ready to depart on Appa to the Earth Kingdom so Aang could learn Earthbending.

Gohan stood off to the side with a smile on his face as Paku handed gifts to Aang and Katara.

Katara received a necklace that contained water from the Spirit Oasis and Aang got a Waterbending scroll to help him master the element.

"Gohan," Paku, surprisingly, called him over.

Walking over with slight anticipation for what Paku had for him, Gohan patiently stood by.

"I believe you lost this," the master Waterbender said as he pulled Gohan's Power Pole out of the bag.

Gohan's eyes widened as he was handed the magical pole. He had thought he lost it in the battle.

"Thank you." Gohan said with a huge smile plastered on his face.

"You're welcome," Paku nodded at him as he hopped onto Appa.

"Sokka," Paku looked to the older teen, bringing Sokka over to him. "Good luck." He patted the boy on the shoulder.

Paku then looked over at the three benders on Appa.

"Fly straight to the Earth Kingdom base to the east of here. General Fong will provide you with an escort to Omashu," he told them as Sokka climbed onto the saddle. "There, you will be safe to begin your Earthbending training with King Bumi," he said.

Aang nodded in understanding. "Appa, yip yip."

"Say hi to Gran Gran for me," Katara called over her shoulder.

They flew for hours on end in comfortable silence until they reached the Earth Kingdom base.

Landing, they reached the Earth Kingdom base where they immediately saw General Fong waiting for them at the landing clearing.

When they jumped down from Appa, they immediately began stretching.

"Welcome, Avatar Aang," Fong greeted immediately with a smile, bowing respectively.

"And welcome to all of you great heroes. Appa, Momo, Brave Sokka, the Spirit; Gohan, the Mighty Katara," Fong greeted the teens.

"The Mighty Katara," Katara repeated. "It sounds good."

Just then, there was a fireworks display in honor of the heroes.

"Not bad," Sokka commented.

After the dazzling show, the group of four were shown a room where they would be staying until escorted to Omashu.

After being allowed to eat and rest for a half hour, they were shown to General Fong's War Room.

Now, they all sat waiting for Fong to start speaking.

"Avatar Aang, we were all impressed with the stories we've heard about your's and Gohan's attack on the Fire Nation Navy at the North Pole," Fong started. "I can't fathom what it takes to wield such devastating power," he said.

"I try not to think about it," Aang replied.

Gohan shrugged.

"Avatar, You are ready to face the Fire Lord," Fong told Aang with a stroke of his beard.

"W-what?! No I'm not!" Aang yelled.

"Aang still needs to master all four elements," Katara told Fong.

"He hasn't even started Firebending or Earthbending," Gohan added.

"What about you?" Fong asked Gohan.

"I can only transform if I look at a full moon," Gohan answered. "And even then, I can't control my actions," he told him.

"Nevertheless, the Avatar is ready. I'm sure he is capable of dishing out just as much, if not, more damage than you. He's ready to defeat the Fire Lord now!" Fong bellowed.

"But, the thing is, Aang can only do those things when he's in the Avatar state," Sokka pointed out.

"See, it's this special state where-"

"I'm well aware. Your eyes and tattoos glow, and you're able to summon unbelievable power," Fong said as he walked over to a map of the world. "Without you, we'd be slaughtered before we reach their shores," he told them. "But with you leading the way, as the ultimate weapon, we can cut a swath straight through to the Fire Nation Capital," he said while demonstrating with his finger on the board map of the world.

"Right, but I don't know how to get in or out of the Avatar State," Aang said. "Much less, what to do once I'm there," he admitted, looking down.

"Then it's decided then," Fong said quickly. "I'll help you figure out how to get into the Avatar State, then you'll face your destiny."

The group of four quickly stood at this.

"No, nothing's decided," Katara told him. "We already have a plan. Aang's pursuing his destiny his way the plan is pursuing his destiny his way," she said.

"Well, while you take your time mastering the elements, the war goes on," Fong told Aang. "May I show you something?" He asked.

Aang followed Fong to look out at the infirmary.

"This is the infirmary," Fong informed Gohan. "Those soldiers are the lucky ones; they came back."

Gohan began to realize that Fong was giving Aang the guilt trip. Pulling on the Avatar's soft heart.

"Everyday, the Fire Nation takes lives. People are dying, Aang," Fong said. "You can end it. Now," he said. "Think about it." He turned and walked away, leaving Aang to ponder the General's words.

Gohan, Sokka, and Katara returned to their room when Aang went off on his own to think.

Time seemed to pass slowly with the three teens clad in Water Tribe clothing lied in their beds. Beds which were spaces in the walls.

Katara sat, propped up on her bed with Momo on her lap, Sokka lied facing the ceiling from his bed, and Gohan sat against the wall of his bed.

"Gohan," Katara suddenly started. "Did you really not have control over your actions when you transformed at the North Pole, or were you saying that to get Fong to leave it be?" she asked.

"No, I really wasn't in control. I don't know how to control it," he answered distantly, not wanting to dwell on the topic.

"Right, do you have any sisters or brothers?" Katara asked, seeing his unease and changing the subject.

Gohan froze. "Yeah, I had a little brother named Goten," he answered.

"Oh, I didn't know he passed," Katara said, noticing the usage of the word 'had'.

"No, we're separated. Goten's still alive," he told her. 'I hope,' he added mentally. With the threats that randomly popped up in his world, who knew what could've transpired while he was here.

"Oh, wh-" Katara would've finished her question if Aang didn't come in looking sad.

He trudged over to his bed and sat down. "I told the General I'd help him," he announced lowly. "By going into the Avatar state."

"Aang, no," Katara gasped. "This is not the right way," she told him.

"Why not?" Sokka asked distantly from his bed.

"There's a right way to do this; practice, study, and discipline," she said.

"Katara's right, Aang. You just can't let Fong pressure you into this," Gohan told the Avatar. "Casualties are apart of war. Those soldiers know what's at stake, yet, they still do their job," he said.

"Yeah, you're right, Gohan. But, he could also just glow-it-up and stop that Fire Lord," Sokka said while looking over at them.

Seeing that Aang was unwavering in his decision, Katara fumed. "If you two meatheads want to throw away everything we worked for, fine. Go ahead and glow-it-up," she said exasperatedly while walking towards the exit of the room, unable to be around them any longer.

"Katara, wait," Aang tried to stop her. "I'm just being realistic. I don't have time to do this the right way," he said.

But she didn't hear it because she was gone already. He hung his head in shame.

"She'll come around," Gohan told him. "She believes you're making the wrong choice," he said. "And you are," Gohan told him.

And with that, the night passed surprisingly quick. Katara didn't come back until later but still managed to get fully rested.

The next morning, General Fong, Sokka, and an old ceremony head tried to help Aang get into the Avatar state. The last of the three attempts ended with them being covered in mud.

Gohan went off to train on his own for the remainder of the day. General Fong provided a nice open area for him to practice his Firebending in peace.

He went through the katas taught to him by Jeong Jeong, and later went through his own modified Turtle-Style katas he came up with.

When the day was finished, he went to sleep earlier than the others. Aang was going to try even more ways to induce the Avatar State the next day but he couldn't care less at the moment. He still thought it was the wrong way to go about it.

He actually wore himself out pretty well because he actually slept longer than the others.

Sokka and Aang went off to tell General Fong that Aang felt like it was a mistake to try and bring out the Avatar State. A realization Aang came to in the middle of the night.

Katara sat in the room with Momo and he just slept. That was until he was jolted awake by a tremor.

"Wonder what crazy plan they came up with now," Katara said.

Gohan stretched his senses and sensed danger. He quickly rushed out the door before running down the hall.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, chasing after him.

He ran out to the balcony over looking the courtyard and saw Sokka being held by two Earth Kingdom soldiers.

He ran over and side-kicked one of them and Sokka punched the other.

"What's happening?" he asked.

"General Fong is trying to force Aang into the Avatar State," Sokka told him.

They then started down a flight of stairs that led to the court where things were getting hectic.

Katara was running down the other set of stairs on the opposite side of the balcony.

Reaching the bottom, Sokka explained the situation to Katara while Gohan charged into the fray.

He was able to stop a few Soldiers for a few minutes, knocking them out or intimidating them into submission.

He went through quite a few soldiers before Fong said:

"Maybe you can avoid me, but she can't."

The remaining soldiers all directed their readied stone slates at the Water Tribe girl.

Gohan turned and saw Katara react by whipping water towards the delusional General but he responded by shifting sand up and engulfing the water and turning it into sand.

Then, he contorted the earth beneath her, making her sink into the ground.

"Ugh, I can't move!" she exclaimed.

"Don't hurt her!" Aang shouted as he leapt and sent a powerful gust of wind at Fong.

Gohan also sent a thin, precise stream of fire at the General. He knew it wouldn't work so he jumped high into the air before landing behind the distracted General.

He snaked his arm around his neck and forced him to his knees. Pointing his index and middle fingers to Fong's temple, he spoke:

"Let her go," he demanded.

Fong tried to escape but Gohan only tightened his grip around his throat.

"Don't try anything," Gohan said.

Aang and Sokka walked forward, both stopping in front of Katara.

After several tense moments of Fong debating whether or not the Firebender would kill him or not, he realized the the boy was a Firebending Spirit and that he probably would kill him.

Relenting, he freed Katara. He sat their with a defeated face. He was so close to seeing if this would've made Aang enter the Avatar State.

Satisfied, Gohan knocked Fong out with a swift blow to the skull. He let him fall to the ground in a comically, unceremonious fashion.

"Anybody here got a problem with that?" Sokka asked as he walked up next to Gohan.

The soldiers all shook their heads 'no'. Why would they have a problem with that? Why would they want to fight the Avatar and a Fire Nation Spirit boy?

"Do you still need an escort to Omashu?" a soldier in a group of three asked with bowed heads.

"No, we'll manage on our own. Thanks for asking," Gohan said.

The group of four, with Momo, flew away on Appa a little later after that.

Gohan sat in the saddle on their way to Omashu and silently hoped things wouldn't get crazier than what just happened. All while the feeling he was experiencing only got stronger.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: There you have it. Simple? Yes. Worth the wait? I don't know. Let me know in your reviews and I'll try to put the next chapter up faster next time.<strong>

**Let me explain that there will not be Super Saiyan 4 Gohan in this story. I simply referenced it in the last chapter. I'm sorry if you were confused.**

**I was asked about Chakra, and which one Gohan would have. I don't know much about them and help would be really appreciated.**


	10. Chapter 10: Cave of Two lovers & Omashu

ATLA chapter ten

They soared through the air on Appa towards Omashu. The sky was mostly clear, the sun was shining. All in all, it was a beautiful day.

Gohan sat cross-legged in the saddle as he entered a meditative state.

Again, he found himself in a black void and a golden glowing light way off in the distance.

He ran towards it again, and saw himself encased again. But this time he didn't touch. He instead examined it closer.

'It is obviously clear that my powers are being contained,' he thought as he began circling it. 'But I need to figure out how and why. And how to release this power.'

He turned and looked closely at his hand before trying to generate some form of Ki.

Sighing in frustration, he began trying to sense the container. It felt odd, weird; completely unnatural.

'It doesn't feel like Ki. And it doesn't feel like anything I've sensed here in this world. So, is this some sort of Magic? It's obviously connected to the reason I got brought here. I just need to figure out why,' he mused.

The more he thought about it, the more questions arose until he was so caught up in his mind, he didn't realize that Appa had landed and the rest of the gang had already went to a nearby water supply to cool off and for Aang and Katara to practice Waterbending.

It wasn't until he was splashed with some water did he come out of meditation.

Sighing, he wiped some water from his face before flipping off of Appa. He 'could' take a dip in the lake where Sokka was floating on a large leaf and Katara was waiting to see if he'd join them. But, he was trying to think of a solution to his 'Power Dilemma'.

'But, when else would I have the chance to relax like this?' he thought.

Flying for hours, he was a little sore and could use a swim to relieve his muscles.

He took off his clothes, folded them neatly, and dove into the water. The cool liquid is a soothing sensation for him as he began swimming around.

He was completely oblivious to the stares he was receiving.

The others were staring incredulously at him. He just got in the water completely nude like it wasn't a problem.

And it wasn't. Being brought up the way he was, modesty was something Gohan lacked.

They eventually ignored it and went back to what they were doing. It's not like he was flaunting it around.

Eventually, Gohan tired of this and exited the lake. He redressed and just sat, waiting patiently for the rest of them to finish so they could get to Omashu.

He really didn't think Aang was mentally prepared to have the weight of the world on his shoulders, unlike himself.

He faced galactic tyrants, flamboyant soldiers, Saiyans, an android, and space pirates. All of which would've made Aang soil himself. He was sure the Fire Lord wouldn't be much trouble for him.

"You two going to be finished soon?" Sokka suddenly asked. "We've got a lot of ground to cover if we're going to make it to Omashu today," he pointed out.

"What, like you're ready to go right now, naked guy?" Katara questioned sarcastically.

"I could be ready in two minutes." Sokka replied. "Serio-"

"Guys, incoming!" Gohan suddenly interrupted him. "There's a group of people coming our way," he said as he looked down a road. He could sense and hear the people approaching. They were… singing?

If he looked behind him, he would've saw Sokka fumble trying to get to shore.

They watched as an oddly dressed group of travelers came along singing, playing instruments, and dancing like they hadn't a care in the world. It was strange; very odd.

They stopped a few yards from the lake when they noticed the youngsters.

"Hey, it's river people," one pointed out to the rest.

"We're not river people," Katara told him.

"Your not?" the man asked. clearly confused. "Then what kind of people are you?" he asked.

Aang looked around at his friends. "Just… people." he shrugged.

"Aren't we all, brother," the man laughed.

Sokka stalked up to the group at the shore. "Who are you?" he demanded while pointing at them.

"I'm Chung," Chung introduced himself. "And this is my wife, Lilly," he introduced her. "We're nomads. Happy to go wherever the wind takes us," he said before suddenly doing an abrupt solo with his instrument.

"You're nomads? That's great. I'm a nomad," Aang said.

"Hey, me too," Chung said.

It was then that Gohan noticed that this man was off.

"I know. You just said that," Aang replied.

"Oh…" Chung drew out. "Nice underwear," he complimented Sokka.

The Water Tribe warrior covered himself before scooting off to change his clothes.

"Do you people really travel anywhere you please during the war?" Gohan asked.

"Whoa, nice hair spiky-head," Lilly said as she touched one of his hair's spikes, easily making it bend to her will.

"Whoa… what makes it so spiky?" Chung asked as he reached for one.

"It's hereditary." Gohan answered as he pulled away from the hands reaching for his head.

"Wha? Hey, your eyes are black," Lilly said in awe.

"Yeah, I know." Gohan shifted awkwardly. "Hey, I'll go looking around," he told Katara and Aang as he started walking away.

"See ya' later, spiky-head," Chung, Lilly, and their group waved after him.

* * *

><p>Gohan stood on top of an out of place boulder in the middle of the densely forested area near the lake the others were at.<p>

He could feel someone strong approaching from the direction he was facing. The same direction they were traveling towards, and the feeling he had grew stronger the closer the person got.

Sitting, he wondered if this person was the cause of his power being suppressed.

'Why was I even brought here?' he asked himself. 'That blue fire must've had something to do with it. But why? Why me?' he asked himself.

These questions only brought him confusion, anger, and more questions.

"Hey, buddy," Sokka suddenly greeted him from behind.

"Huh? Oh, hey, Sokka," he greeted with a sad smile.

"What's got you down?" the older teen asked.

"I'm fine. I just get the feeling something weird is gonna happen," he said.

"You can never be sure what will happen while traveling with the Avatar," Sokka laughed.

"No, I'm talking about a different weird," Gohan sighed.

"You mean, weird like your tail, or weird like a tongue stuck to the ice at the South Pole?" Sokka asked.

Both boys laughed momentarily.

"It doesn't matter. Let's get going." Gohan said as he got up from the rock and turned to start walking away.

"I mean, what can be more weird than traveling with a one-hundred and twelve year old kid with a ten ton flying bison? Well, besides you?" Sokka asked.

"Haha, hey, I'm not weird," Gohan laughed.

Sokka gave him a look that said 'Yeah right'.

"Do you think Aang can actually beat the Fire Lord?" Gohan asked, suddenly serious.

"I'm not sure. But, he is the Avatar. I say he has the best chance to defeat the Fire Lord," Sokka answered.

"I don't think he's mentally prepared for what it takes to defeat him. I'll get him to meditate when we get to Omashu. That's how I got ready," Gohan said.

Sokka was going to ask what he was ready for but realized that he probably meant the war they were fighting.

The two then walked back to camp.

They arrived and saw everyone relaxing. And one of the women was braiding Appa's fur! Flowers, braids, music! Something was definitely not right here.

"Sokka, Gohan, you two should hear some of these stories," Aang told them once they got close. "These guys have been everywhere," he said enthusiastically.

Chung, who was playing his instrument, stopped to correct him. "Not everywhere, little arrowhead, but where we haven't been, we heard about through stories and songs," he said.

"They said they'll take us to see a giant night crawler," Aang told them.

"On the way, there's a waterfall that creates a never ending rainbow," the large man, Moku, lying near Appa's tail added.

"I don't think we have time for that," Gohan pointed out.

"Yeah, I'd hate to be the wet blanket here, but since Katara is busy." He gestured to his sister; she was getting her ponytail braided by Lilly. "I guess it's up to me. We need to get to Omashu. No side trips, no worms, and definitely no rainbows." He pointed sternly to the large man.

"Whoa, sounds like someone has a case of destination fever. You're worried too much about where you're going," Chung said.

"You need to focus less on the where and more on the going." Lilly added. Peripheral

"Omashu." Sokka emphasized.

"Sokka's right. We need to find King Bumi so Aang can learn Earthbending somewhere safe," Katara agreed.

"Well, it sounds like you're headed to Omashu," Chung pointed out.

Sokka slapped his forehead in agitation. Chung really was off.

"There's an old story about a secret pass, right through the mountain," Chung told them.

"Is this real, or a legend?" Katara asked skeptically.

"Oh, it's a real legend. And it's as old as Earthbending itself," Chung said as he leaned up from his seated position.

He then broke into song about a 'Cave of Two Lovers.' Gohan couldn't deny the fact that the song was kind of catchy.

When Chung finished, everyone except Sokka clapped. He looked like he was straining his patience for these people.

"Yeah, I think we'll just stick to flying," Sokka said as he moved towards his sister and Aang. "We've dealt with the Fire Nation before, we'll be fine," he said.

"Yeah, thanks for the help, but Appa hates going underground," Aang told them. "And we need to do what makes Appa feel most comfortable," he said.

To say that Appa was uncomfortable while they tried to fly to Omashu would be an understatement. They were attacked by the Fire Nation almost immediately when they took to the sky.

They ended up flying back to Chung and his group with soot covering them in small amounts.

Sokka begrudgingly trudged past Chung with the others in tow. "Secret love cave, let's go," he sighed.

Chung began leading them to the secret passage. All the while singing happily and dancing.

Gohan liked being with happy people. It somewhat reminded him of times of peace with Goku.

They've been walking for nearly an hour and Gohan kept getting odd looks from the other two women from Chung's group. They kept asking him about his hair and why it looked stiff but was actually soft.

"How long are we from the tunnel?" Sokka suddenly asked.

"Actually, it's not just 'one' tunnel; the lovers didn't want anyone to find out about their love, so they built a whole labyrinth," Chung correct Sokka.

"Labyrinth?" Sokka questioned, horrified.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll figure it out," Chung told him.

Gohan was skeptical of this but kept silent. If it came to it, he could just punch his way out, right? It's just rocks.

"All you need to do is trust in love," Lilly told him. "According to the curse," she added as an afterthought.

Sokka froze at her words. Curse? Really? A cursed mountain labyrinth? That was pushing it for him. But what other choice did they have?

They walked until they reached an opening in the mountain. Moss covered the entrance's top half but they could still enter without problem.

"Hey, we're here," Chung pointed out the obvious.

"What exactly is this curse?" Sokka asked.

"The curse says that only those who trust in love can make it through the cave. Otherwise, you'll be trapped in it forever," Chung answered.

"And die," Lilly added.

"Oh yeah… and die," he said. "Hey, I just remembered the rest of that song." He cheered as he moved forward. "And die!" he said with a slightly lowered tone of voice as he strummed his instrument's strings.

"That's it!" Sokka exclaimed. "There's no way we're going through some cursed hole."

"Hey, someone's making a big camp fire," Moku pointed to a column of smoke behind them in the distance.

"That's no campfire, Moku," Katara told the large man, already knowing what it was.

"It's Fire Nation. They're tracking us," Sokka told him.

Gohan stared out at the smoke column. To him, the Fire Nation was really stupid by giving away their position. He blamed it on the fact that he was in a alternate earth's past, and that battle strategies probably weren't as good as the ones from his world.

"So all you gotta do is trust in love to make it through the tunnels?" Aang asked Chung.

"That is correct, master arrowhead," the nomad answered.

"Everyone into the hole," Sokka ordered as he began moving to the entrance.

Appa was less complying and let his complaint known with a roar. He was begrudgingly led in by Aang shortly after.

But no less than a minute after they entered, the entrance was sealed off from the Fire Nation soldiers following them from outside.

It became immediately dark, so Gohan held out his hand and created a flame for them to see. The area was bathed in a blue light. Not that he really needed it. Saiyans had excellent vision in the dark. But he was half-Saiyan, so his vision wasn't perfect.

He saw Appa trying to claw his way out of the cave and was unaware of the stares he was receiving from Chung's group.

"Hey, you know, there's this old ancient prophecy about a boy and girl. I forgot how it goes but they both have blue fire. Or something like that. Hey, you're full of surprises spiky-head," Chung said.

Gohan didn't really pay attention to what Chung said as he watched Katara try and soothe Appa.

"I'm gonna make a map to track exactly where we've been," Sokka said as he climbed aboard Appa and pulled out a piece of parchment and writing quill." Then we should be able to solve it like a maze and get through," he said as he got back to the ground.

He began leading the way through the labyrinth.

An hour passed and Sokka led them to ten dead ends. Gohan was about ready to try when Katara spoke first.

"Sokka, this is the tenth dead end you've led us to," she told her brother.

"This doesn't make any sense, we already came through here," he said frustratedly as he began scrutinizing his map.

"We don't need a map. We just need love," Chung explained. "The little guy knows it," he said, directed towards the Avatar.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't mind a map also," Aang replied.

"Sokka, the tunnels are changing. That's the only explanation," Gohan told his friend as he too looked over the map, still creating light with his fire.

"You're right," Sokka agreed. "It's strange. Do you think it's the curse?" he asked.

As soon as the last word left his mouth, the ground started shaking.

'What was that?' Gohan asked himself as he moved his hand to move the light further down the tunnel. He heard something down the tunnel. It sounded like birds flapping their wings, but also chirping like bats. 'Birds? Bats?'

Chung started rambling about the curse and the mountains changing. Sokka had a rude retort but Katara silenced them when she too began hearing the noise.

Gohan increased the output of fire as he looked down the tunnel. He could see a clump of creatures approaching them.

Seconds later, the first one let itself be known as it glided over his head.

"It's a scary flying thing with teeth!" Chung exclaimed.

"No, it's a wolf-bat!" Moku exclaimed.

Gohan scared it away with a small blast of fire. Unfortunately, this caused Appa to go crazy and start madly stomping around before ramming into walls like a mad bull!

He caused a rock avalanche and rocks of all sizes began falling from the ceiling.

Katara, being the closest to him, Gohan pulled her out of harms way while Aang pushed the others out of the way with airbending before he ran over to Gohan, Katara and Appa.

"Darn it!" Gohan complained as he walked over to the fallen rocks to examine it.

The rocks sealed the path shut from ground to ceiling. And the rocks were firmly locked into place.

He tried pulling one free but that only succeeded in more rocks falling down and almost hitting the others.

"Be careful," Katara cautioned him.

Sighing, Gohan walked back over to them. There was no use in trying. They were completely separated from the others. He could punch through but that would cause more rocks to fall. Not that he couldn't stop rocks from hurting those on his side, it was the others he feared of getting hurt.

"We should keep moving. I'm sure Sokka will find a way out," Gohan told them.

Katara and Aang nodded in agreement and they began walking down the tunnel.

Gohan was slightly annoyed by this situation they were in. And it was slightly his fault for getting them in it. But, then again, why did Appa freak out so badly?

But he knew he couldn't blame the beast. It only reacted the same way any animal would.

They kept walking until Katara saw what seemed to be the entrance to an inner sanctum to the labyrinth.

Gohan walked over to it and examined it. Pulling his fist back, he punched the stone in front of him and destroyed it, creating a way in.

Katara and Aang were shocked by the display of strength but shrugged it off as him being a spirit that made him strong. It was the only logical answer, right?

They entered and Gohan amped up his output of fire to get a clear view of the area the just entered.

"This isn't the exit?" he asked disappointedly.

"No, it's a tomb," Aang told him as they went down a path of stairs that led to the two coffins made of earth that was in the center of the room. "It must be the two lovers from the legend. That's who's buried here," he deduced.

"These pictures tell their story," Katara said as she scrutinized carvings on a wall.

"They met on top of the mountain that divided their two villages. The villages were enemies so they could…" Katara began telling the story.

Gohan didn't pay it any attention as he began looking around the tomb. He looked behind him and saw a couple kissing crafted into the wall.

'Love is brightest in the dark,' he read the inscription to himself. His brain went to work thinking of an explanation for this. 'Could it be…' he trailed off as he slowly let his flame die out.

"Gohan, what are you doing?" Katara asked suddenly, unable to continue the story she was reading.

His answer came as the entire cave lit up in a light, blue hue from the ceiling.

They looked up and saw that there were glowing crystals that filled the room.

"I get it now. 'Love is brightest in the dark.' It has a kind if double meaning to it," Gohan said before blushing.

He avoided the gazes of Katara and Aang as he led them out of the room.

"Gohan, how'd you know this would happen?" Aang asked him, indicating the crystals.

"It's the inscription. 'Love is brightest in the dark,'" Gohan shrugged as he sped up his pace.

Soon, they were jogging until they saw the exit. Appa rushed past them and made it out first. He stood on his back two legs before doing a half spin and plopping down on his back.

'I hope my Senzu beans are ok,' Gohan thought worriedly. Those things were very helpful.

"What about Sokka?" Aang asked.

'He's coming,' Gohan thought as he looked at the mountain side.

Just then, there was a rumbling and Sokka emerged from the mountain. On top of a… badger-mole?

"How'd you guys get out?" the Water Tribe warrior asked.

"Gohan figured out how," Katara answered.

"Really?" Sokka questioned as he slid off the big creature. "We let big, ferocious beast lead our way," he told them as he turned and waved at the retreating badger-moles.

They grunted in unison before turning and entered the holes they made. Then the holes closed after them like a door.

Momo and Appa had a reunion too as Sokka and Katara hugged.

"Why's your forehead all red?" she asked when they parted.

"Hey, it is red," Gohan said as he looked with intrigue at his friend's forehead.

Chung suddenly slid over next to them and lowly said, "nobody react to what I'm about to tell you; I think that kid might be the Avatar." He pointed at Aang.

Sokka face-palmed at the stupidity while Gohan was just surprised Chung even knew what the Avatar was.

"Sokka," Chung continued as he removed his lei and put it around Sokka's neck," I hope you learned a little something about not letting the plans get in the way of the journey," he finished with a hug that Sokka didn't return.

"Just play your songs," Sokka grumbled.

Gohan smiled as Chung and his group did their thing. Even though they had a massive setback, he was glad everything worked out fine.

They left shortly after on Appa towards Omashu and not a word was spoke the entire ride their. They were just relieved at the time.

Appa landed a little under a quarter mile from Omashu, but the city wasn't visible because a hill blocked it's view.

They began walking up the hill and when they began reaching the top, Sokka spoke:

"Well, Gohan, my friend, the journey was long and annoying, but now you get to see what it's really about; the destination," he said as they reached the top. "I present to you, the Earth Kingdom City of O- oh no," he gasped at the sight of the city.

Gohan looked at Omashu and frowned as he tilted his head. From what he was told, Omashu was a Earth Kingdom stronghold, not a Fire Nation colony.

"I can't believe it," Aang said once the initial shock was over. "I know the war had spread far, but Omashu… it just seemed untouchable," he said.

"I know. And up until now, it was. Now Ba Sing Se is the only great Earth Kingdom stronghold left," Sokka told him.

"This is horrible," Katara said sadly. "But we have to move on," she told Aang.

"No," Aang disagreed. "I'm going in to find Bumi," he announced.

Sokka moved forward. "Aang, stop. We don't even know if Bumi is… still…" he trailed off.

"What?" Aang turned to face him. "If he's still what?"

"Alive," Gohan answered bluntly.

"Yeah," Sokka diverted his eyes.

"I know you had your heart set on Bumi, but there are other people who can teach you Earthbending," Katara told him.

Aang turned back to the city. "This isn't about finding a teacher, it's about finding my friend," he told them.

Gohan couldn't argue against that. He'd do the same thing for Piccolo.

The gang flew on Appa to the bottom of Omashu at a sewer exit with the pipe protruding a couple feet out of the wall.

"A secret passage? Why didn't we use this last time?" Sokka asked as Aang jumped onto the top of the pipe and hit it open.

The sludge from within gushed out and Sokka gagged as he stepped back.

"Does that answer your question?" Aang asked as he entered the sewage pipe.

Katara entered after him, followed by Gohan then lastly Sokka.

While Aang and Katara bended the gunk out of their paths, Gohan and Sokka were getting it all over them.

Aang and Katara emerged topside perfectly fine while Sokka and Gohan came out covered in the gunk. They looked like sewer monsters with all the sewage covering them.

They couldn't see it, but both Katara and Aang looked incredulously at them.

Katara saw a barrel of water and Waterbended them with the water. Aang followed up with a blast of air that dried them off.

Gohan looked at his older friend and was shocked to see Pentapuss' on his face.

He felt suction on his face and silently gasped as Sokka yelled and tried to remove them forcibly.

"Ahh! Help me, they won't let go!" he shouted. "Agh-umph!" He was tackled by Aang to a wall.

"Quit making so much noise. It's just a purple pentapuss," he laughed.

Gohan watched as Aang reached up and rubbed the small creature with his index finger. He did the same with the two on his left cheek and forehead, leaving red dots where the suction cups once were.

He tucked them behind him when a Fire Nation guard suddenly shouted, "Hey!"

Aang hid behind Gohan and Katara really fast and rapped his head to keep his tattoo arrow on his head covered. They all put on fake smiles as the guards approached them.

"What are you kids doing out past curfew?" the middle man asked.

They were all carrying spears as they stopped in front of them.

"Sorry, we were just heading home," Katara lied and they turned and started walking away.

"Wait, what's wrong with them?" The same guy asked.

"Uh… they have Pentapox," Katara lied again as she turned Sokka around. Gohan turned back too.

The lead guard stepped forward and was about to touch Sokka in the face, but Katara interjected again.

"It's highly contagious!" she warned him.

The guard retracted his hand a little and scrutinized Sokka's face.

"Ugh, I'm dying," Sokka groaned as he acted sick.

Gohan went along with it and he too started groaning and selling the role of being sick.

"Oh, it's so awful, we're dying," Sokka groaned.

"A-and deadly," Katara added as Sokka took a few steps towards the guards.

"I-I think I've heard of pentapox," the guard said, afraid. "Didn't your cousin, Chang, die from it?" he asked the guard to his right.

"We better go wash our hand! And burn our clothes!" the guard to the left yelled as they all ran off.

"Wow, I can hardly believe that just happened," Gohan laughed lightly as they walked away.

They snuck away from the area they were just at and onto a the second tier of the city in the center of the city.

They hid behind a stack of wood when two guards walked by.

"Let's find Bumi, and get out of here," Katara planned.

"Where would they be keeping him?" Sokka asked.

"Somewhere metal," Gohan answered. "That way, he wouldn't be able to Earthbend," he said.

They ran from cover and towards the slide-like mailing system. Almost reaching them, Gohan noticed a group of people walking below them, approaching from the opposite direction. Above, he sensed a power level spike and looked up to see a Earthbender send a small boulder down towards the group of people.

Gohan didn't need to look back to know who the intended target was. He jumped in front of the small boulder and kicked them, causing them to explode on contact and create a dust cloud.

Down below, they were spotted by (Just realized that Mai's mother doesn't have a name. I think I'll call her… Shai.) Shai and the Royal guards. Her daughter, Mai, immediately threw her Knives and Stilettos at them.

They dodged and began running away. Guards quickly climbed up a ladder and they were whipped down by Katara's Waterbending.

Mai climbed up too and sent more of her knives at them.

Katara created a shield with water and the knives hit it. She took off running again after she made sure they were all blocked.

Aang turned around and blocked Mai's path with piled up construction wood before he continued running away.

He turned back and blocked a knife Mai ricocheted off a wall, with his staff.

Gohan turned and was about to ignite the wood with his Firebending, but the ground beneath him opened and he, like the others, fell.

Gohan landed on his feet and looked around to take in his surroundings. He relaxed a little when he noticed it was Earth Kingdom citizens.

He reached down and helped Katara up to her feet.

"Hello, Avatar," a man with a beard greeted Aang. His name was Yao.

"Hi," Aang greeted. There was a moment of silence. "So… is King Bumi with you?" he asked.

The refugees all looked to Aang, none knowing how to break the news to him, they stayed quite.

"Is he leading the resistance?" Aang asked, a little hope in his voice.

"Of course not!" Yao half-shouted. "The day of the invasion, we readied ourselves for battle; prepared to defend our city; to fight for our lives and for our freedom. But before we even had a chance, King Bumi surrendered," he told them.

Gohan pondered why a King would give up. 'He probably only wanted to save his people,' he thought as the man continued.

"The day of the invasion, I asked King Bumi what he wanted to do. He looked me in the eye and said, 'We're going to do nothing.' It doesn't matter now. Fighting the Fire Nation is our only path for freedom. And freedom is worth dying for," Yao said.

"Actually," Aang interjected. "There's another path to freedom; you can leave Omashu," he said. "You're directing all your energy to fight the Fire Nation. But you're out numbered. You can't win," he told them." Now's the chance to escape so you could live to fight another day."

"You don't understand," Yao. "They've taken our home. And we have to fight them at any cost!" he told them vehemently.

"I don't know, Yao. Living to fight another day sounds good to me," another man said.

"Yeah, I'm with the kid," another man agreed.

Murmurings started in the crowd of refugees. All agreeing to escape. Yao saw this and understood that he was wrong.

"Fine. But there's thousands of citizens that need to leave. How are we gonna get them all out?" Yao asked.

Gohan couldn't think of an good idea. He had one that involved fighting their way out, but he knew next to none of the civilians knew how to fight.

"Suckers?" Sokka suddenly said, earning stares from everyone. He had a big cheesy grin on his face as he darted his eyes around. "You're all about to come down with a nasty case of pentapox," he said with a smile.

The next morning, Gohan went with Aang to gather as many pentapusses as possible.

After gathering several dozen buckets filled, they took them to a secluded area of the city and got the operation started.

He felt the feeling he had get stronger with each passing moment as he helped the citizens of Omashu get situated.

Once everyone had gotten 'pentapox', Sokka announced:

"The marks make you look sick, but you've got to act sick too. You've got to sell it," he told them.

"So get into sick formation," Gohan told them as he and Sokka started following after the crowd, making sure to play the role of being sick.

It was almost too easy. The Fire Nation soldiers all got scared and drove them out of the city.

Once they got out of sight, they walked normally until they were out of reach for a few hours and set up camp there. Gohan made sure they weren't followed.

* * *

><p>Gohan stood with his friends and discussed they past day's events when Aang and Bumi's pet Flopsy came back from searching for Bumi.<p>

They walked over to them and noticed that Bumi was not with them. Which meant he was either dead or hidden really well.

"We looked everywhere. No Bumi," Aang said sadly.

Katara hugged him while Sokka hugged Flopsy. The beast made a whining noise.

Gohan turned to the quickly approaching Yao.

"We've got a problem," Yao said. "We just did a head count," he told them.

"Oh no," Katara gasped. "Did someone get left behind?" she asked.

"No, we have an extra," Yao said as he pointed to a Fire Nation baby behind him, playing with Momo.

"What do we do with him?" Gohan asked.

"I guess we take him back?" Sokka shrugged.

"I'll take him back," Gohan offered, not seeing a problem in doing so.

"Are you sure?" Katara asked, not sure if he could successfully pull it off.

"Yeah, it'll be easy," Gohan told her. "I'll do it tomorrow," he said before going over and sitting at their campfire with Appa and Momo.

They all agreed and joined him. Katara brought the Fire Nation child so she could watch it.

Gohan watched the baby play around with Momo for a while before falling down on his rear. It was obvious that the baby was still new at walking.

The baby saw Sokka's club on the ground, picked it up, and started teething on it.

The Water Tribe boy was appalled by this and snatched his weapon away. "No! Bad Fire Nation baby!" he said.

The baby started crying.

Katara smacked Sokka and glared at him for being so rude. It was just a baby for crying out loud.

"Oh, all right," he sighed as he handed the weapon to the baby.

"Oh, you're so cute," Katara said with a smile as she ticked the baby.

"Sure, he's cute now," Yao started. "But when he gets older, he'll join the war. He'll be a cold blooded killer," he told her.

Gohan froze. Thinking of some of his past enemies as babies.

'Whoa, I wonder what Freeza looked like as a baby," he thought as he pictured the dead tyrant as a baby blowing up planets.

He was pulled out of his musings when he heard a bird screech. He looked up at a messenger hawk that landed on a rock in front of them.

Aang removed the message from the hawk's back strap and it flew away.

"It's from the Fire Nation Governor. He thinks we took his son. So he wants to make a trade. King Bumi for his Son."

It was silent.

"I think we should rest on it before we make any decisions," Gohan told them.

"Yeah, we're all tired," Katara agreed.

With that, they all went to sleep. Gohan tried to ignore the odd, growing feeling he was receiving as much as possible.

* * *

><p>Gohan woke up first with a start. Looking around frantically, he could've sworn someone was near. He felt the presence of the power related to the odd feeling he was getting.<p>

Looking over to his right, he saw his friends sleeping peacefully.

Sighing, he got out of his sleeping bag and put it away on Appa, all while thinking of this situation.

'Whoever it is… they feel evil. Not too evil, but not good,' he thought as he walked over and sat on a rock.

Little did he know, but the person, or rather, the girl he was feeling the same thing as him.

Azula didn't like it any more than he did. She hated it. It was a feeling she learned to ignore at times, but it's been growing stronger each day.

The feeling wasn't completely terrible. It made her like she was attached to something.

Later, after he had time to muse to himself, Gohan stood with Katara and Sokka as Aang approached them with the baby.

"You realize we're probably walking into a trap?" Sokka questioned the Avatar.

"I don't think so. I'm sure the Governor wants his son back as much as we want Bumi," Aang replied. "It's a new day; I have a good feeling about this," he told them.

Gohan didn't. He couldn't help but feel like things would turn south.

Boarding Appa, he kept any indication of his uneasiness off his neutral expression. It was time to be serious.

Gohan breathed in through his nose as he stood next to Sokka. He could feel it. Three people approaching, one stronger than the others.

That one was the same he has been keeping tabs on for a while now. While it was was getting closer, the feeling was growing stronger.

Another one felt similar to the baby's. He assumed that it was a family member.

Gohan watched as three girls walked up to the construction site. A girl wearing pink, the girl that attacked them two nights ago, and… his jaw dropped at the site of the third girl.

'She… she's the girl from my dream," he thought numbly. 'But how?' he questioned.

They never even met before. Yet, he felt like he had a bond with her. Like a friendship bond but deeper.

He didn't even seem to notice Bumi being descended to behind the girls by a metal crane. He just stared blankly at Azula.

Little did he know, she was having similar thoughts.

"You have my brother?" Mai suddenly asked, breaking the half-Saiyan out of his trance-like state.

"He's here," Aang answered. "We're ready to trade," he told them.

"I'm sorry, but a thought just occurred to me, Azula cut in. "Do you mind?" she asked Mai.

The others couldn't hear, but Gohan did.

"Of course not, Princess Azula. "Mai answered as she looked back at her friends.

'Princess?' Gohan questioned as he continued listening.

"We're trading a two year old for a King?" she asked as she looked back at Bumi. "A powerful, Earthbending King?" she questioned.

"Mmhhmm," Bumi agreed.

Gohan frowned. He picked up on what she was getting at. Was Bumi trying to help them, or was he just crazy?

"It doesn't just seem like a fair trade, does it?" she asked Mai.

Gohan looked over to his friends when Mai looked back at them. "Guys, get ready," he warned them.

"The deal's off!" Mai suddenly told them as Bumi was raised back up into the air.

The old Earth King started laughing as he was pulled up into the sky.

"Bumi!" Aang exclaimed as he ran forward, giving himself a boost with Airbending.

Azula shot a blue Fire blast at him as he jumped several feet into the air and onto a scaffolding.

"The Avatar," Azula whispered before smirking and following him up.

Gohan took off after her as she started climbing up the scaffolding of but stopped when he felt something prick his arm. He pulled a knife from his arm and looked incredulously at Mai. He looked back up at Azula and heard a whooshing. Turning, he caught Mai's thrown knives. He then back flipped away and landed next to the retreating Sokka.

"We gotta get outta here," he told Katara as she whipped two knives away.

He looked back and saw that Sokka had tripped and skid to a halt over the edge. Barely avoiding not falling to his death by mere inches.

Ty Lee came from under and began running after Sokka.

Gohan and Katara began chasing after her but stopped when Mai threw more knives.

Gohan turned again and plucked them out of the air before sending them back at Mai. But instead of aiming for her, he threw them at the floor in front of her as a warning. Her eyes widened in shock at this. He caught her knives! In mid air!

When he turned back around, he saw Katara get hit with a furry of quick jabs by Ty Lee. The acrobat was stopped from attacking Sokka by Katara and attacked the Waterbender.

Katara lost control of her Waterbending and took a defensive step back.

Ty Lee cartwheeled over to Gohan and when she tried to jab him, he caught her wrist. He pulled her and threw her into Mai. They were both shocked that he had cancelled their specialties without much effort.

"Come on," he ordered Katara as the girls got tangled with each other.

Just then, Sokka came riding in on Appa. They quickly climbed aboard and the bison took off.

Gohan and Katara sat on either side of Sokka and they flew looking for Aang.

Katara spotted him being chased by Azula and Sokka directed Appa down.

Now flying along side Aang and Bumi as they slid down the mail deliver system. All while Azula sent blue fire at Aang.

When they got close, Azula sent a flame after them. Gohan sent his own and the two flames clashed before dispersing.

Aang attempted to throw Bumi from the slide to the Bison, but he miscalculated and the steel coffin went over them and plummeted to the city below.

Aang jumped after him.

Sokka had to steer away to avoid crashing into a home. Maneuvering around the house, they tried to locate the Avatar.

"Down there," Gohan pointed down to the base of the construction site.

He looked over his shoulder and saw the Fire Nation Princess using fire to propel her away. It was weird. Gohan never met her before today, but he felt like he knew her. Sighing, he looked back in time to see Aang alone standing where Bumi left him. The Avatar walked sadly over to his friends and jumped up to Appa's saddle.

Now that the immediate danger was gone, Gohan and Katara climbed in the back with Aang.

"What happened? Why'd Bumi leave?" Gohan asked.

"Bumi left?" Sokka questioned from Appa's head. "After a- "

"Yeah, he said he'd wait for the right moment to strike," Aang told them.

"Who's going to teach you Earthbending?" Katara asked.

"He said my teacher will be someone who has mastered neutral jing," Aang answered.

"So… where do we go from here?" Gohan asked.

* * *

><p>Princess Azula was being carried in her carriage while Ty Lee and Mai walked to the right of her.<p>

She contemplated the events that just transpired. The Avatar and the boy her father told her of were traveling together.

'He's probably the Avatar's Firebending teacher,' she thought.

If the Avatar already had waterbending learned, and had a Firebending teacher, if her assumptions were right, all he'd need was an Earthbending teacher and he'd basically be a fully realized Avatar.

"So… we're hunting down your brother and uncle, huh?" Mai suddenly asked.

"It'll be interesting seeing Zuko again, won't it Mai?" Ty Lee teased her friend.

Mai turned her head away and smirked. It would be interesting to see Zuko again.

"It's not just Zuko and Iroh anymore," Azula said without looking at them, saying her uncle's name without the 'uncle' title. A blatant sign of disrespect to him. "We have two more targets now," she told them.

She left them without explanation of who she was talking about. They could assume that one was the Avatar. But what about the other?

* * *

><p>Admiral Zhao stood in his room aboard his ship he acquired from a Fire Nation Navy Captain. It was believed that he was dead, But rumors of his death were greatly exaggerated. He was heading to the Earth Kingdom capital of Ba Sing Se to try and intercept the Avatar and that blue-flamed child.<p>

With Omashu conquered, he doubted the Avatar would go anywhere but Ba Sing Se.

He vowed to kill the boy at any means necessary. Even if he died in the process, he'd be sure to take him down too.

* * *

><p>Gohan, after Aang set out to return the baby, picked up the technique book Tien and Choutzu gave him and started reading.<p>

He went through everything that required Ki and was a little sad that he was unable to do any of them.

He flipped a page to a blank page and then again to a page that had 'Psychokinesis and Telekinesis' written in bold letters on top of the page.

Intrigued, he flipped the page to the first tutorial. His eyes widened when he read the first note about psychokinesis.

'No Ki required to perform the following,' he read with a large smile.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: There you have it. I put up a longer chapter. You guys like this?<strong>

**Anyways, do you want me to do a Q/A at the end of the future chapters?**

**Thanks for reading.**

**R&R**


	11. Chapter 11: The Swamp and Avatar Day

ATLA chapter eleven

**AN: this is one of the chapters I've been waiting for. I hope you all enjoy.**

* * *

><p>The wind gently breezed passed him as he focused on his task at hand. A bead of sweat rolled down his face and he concentrated harder.<p>

A low growl escaped Appa's mouth. Nearly making him lose concentration.

He was sitting with his legs crossed and his fist balled on his knees as he stared intently down at the red object in front of him. This task required total concentration.

Gohan would've smiled if it wouldn't have broken his concentration as he managed to make his Power Pole float a few inches off the saddle. Albeit a bit slowly and shakily.

No one else had been up at the time so there were no witnesses that he knew of. Sighing, he allowed the magical pole to drop to the floor.

'Wow, that might take a little longer to master than I thought,' he mused as he stood to his feet.

He walked over to his sleeping bag and crawled inside. Squirming around to get comfortable, he began thinking about yesterday's events.

'We tricked the Fire Nation into letting thousands of citizens leave Omashu, "kidnapped" a baby, and then… that girl.' He closed his eyes. 'She is the Fire Nation Princess; that guy Zuko's sister; Azula. She had blue Fire, too,' he thought.

He knew next to nothing about her but the facts that she was a Princess, she bent blue fire, and she was a bad person.

Yawning, he peacefully drifted off to sleep with Azula on his mind.

When he woke up, the gang was quick to pack all their belongings and hop on Appa.

Gohan pulled out his technique book from Tien and Choutzu and started reading while Sokka sharpened his machete, Katara read Waterbender scrolls, and Aang flew Appa.

He felt a weird energy coming from the swamp they were currently flying over. It was like one large power level, but it was life energy.

Sokka, who was across from him, stopped his sharpening and crawled over to the front of the saddle.

"Hey. You taking us down for a reason?" the oldest boy asked the Avatar.

He wasn't getting an answer. Aang was just staring down at the swamp in a trance.

"Aang!" Sokka started louder, grabbing the tattooed boy's attention. "Why are you taking us down?" He asked, gesturing with his arm to the swamp.

"What? I didn't even notice," Aang replied.

"Are you noticing now?" Sokka asked rhetorically.

Gohan and Katara got over to either side of Sokka. "Is something wrong?" Katara asked.

"I know this is going to sound weird, but I think the swamp is… calling to me," Aang told them.

"Is it telling you where we could get something to eat?" Sokka asked.

"No, I… I think it wants us to land there," Aang answered.

"No offense to the swamp, but I don't see any land there to land on," Sokka said.

"I don't know. Bumi said for me to learn Earthbending, I'd have to wait and listen," Aang told him. "And now I'm hearing the earth. Do you want me to ignore it?" he questioned.

Gohan considered this for a moment. Something wasn't right about this place. He didn't trust it.

"I don't know, there's something ominous about this place," Katara commented.

Momo made a chirping noise while Appa growled.

"See?" Sokka questioned. "Even Appa and Momo don't like this place," he pointed out.

"Ok, since everyone feels so strongly about this… by swamp," Aang sighed as he steered Appa away.

Gohan turned to the back of the beast, and saw a tornado. Sokka seemed to notice it too.

"You better throw in another 'yip!" the oldest boy exclaimed. "We gotta move!" he shouted as Aang tried maneuvering away from the tornado.

Seconds passed and Aang tried getting away from the tornado, but it wouldn't shake.

Sokka was not holding on to the saddle railing, so he was pulled from it. But Gohan grabbed him and pulled him back down next to him.

Aang jumped to the back of the saddle and created an air ball around Appa. It was a futile attempt to shield them from the harsh winds because he couldn't keep up the strain of holding his air flow around Appa.

The ball broke and they were all ejected from saddle. Wasn't at first, but when he saw his friends, he tried to save them. He only succeeded in being sucked away.

He saw Appa and Momo get pulled in a completely different direction before falling below the tree tops.

He fell straight down and landed in the murky swamp water with a splash, followed by Sokka, Katara, and then Aang gently floated down.

Getting to his feet, Gohan looked around to see if his friends were Ok.

'They're fine." He mentally sighed in relief as they each stood to their feet.

"Where's Appa and Momo?" Aang asked once he saw that his friends were ok.

Gohan closed his eyes and tried to sense out the animals. But there were far too man energy signatures in the area. Not to mention the one energy signal that surround the entire swamp.

"Gah, it's useless," he muttered as Aang hopped up over the tree tops to scout the area.

Gohan sighed as he reached back for his power pole. If Aang couldn't get high enough, maybe he could with the magical pole.

"Hu?!" he gasped when he felt empty air. Looking down, he saw that he didn't even have the sheath on. 'Darn, it was on Appa,' he thought.

"Sokka, you've got an elbow leech," Katara told her brother.

Screaming, he frantically searched his body for the worm. "Where?" He asked after not finding it.

Katara dead panned as she answered," Where do you think?"

He looked down at his right elbow and plucked the leech from his appendage. "Why do things keep attaching to me?" he asked as he threw it away.

Aang swung down on a vine and landed softly on a root protruding from the swamp.

"You couldn't find them?" Katara asked.

"No. And the tornado… it just disappeared," he told them.

They all looked back in the direction they fell from. Almost as if they could sense a presence.

* * *

><p>Admiral Zhao stood with grace as he came across a ship from his view next to the helmsman.<p>

"What do we do, Admiral?" Captain Yin asked from behind Zhao.

"Board them. I want to know everything they have to tell," Zhao ordered.

"Right away," Yin saluted before hurrying off.

Zhao watched as his men dragged Fire Nation soldiers below one by one to be interrogated. Minutes later, Yin returned with news.

"Sir, we've interrogated their crew like you ordered. They say they've seen the Avatar and his group heading away from Omashu and towards Ba Sing Se." Yin told Zhao.

"Good, That means we are going the right way," Zhao said with a smirk.

"What do we do with Commander Bo and his crew?" Yin asked.

"Bo?" Zhao questioned. "Ah, I remember him. Commandeer his ship for this little… expedition," he said.

* * *

><p>"We need to pick up the pace," Sokka said as he cut through a few vines with his machete.<p>

The group had set out on foot in search for the bison and lemur. They had been walking for almost thirty minutes and had no signs of the creatures.

"Maybe we should be nicer to the swamp," Aang suggested lightly from his spot on a large root.

"Aang, these are just plants. You want me to say please and thank you as I swing my machete back and forth?" Sokka asked rhetorically.

"Aang's got a point, Sokka. This swamp is… off," Gohan told his friend. "I think it had something to do with that tornado." he added.

"Yeah, something about this place seems… alive," Katara said.

"I'm sure there are a lot of things alive out there, and if we don't want to be eaten by them, we need to find Appa as soon as we can," he told them as he cut another bunch of vines.

Gohan sighed as he kept up with Sokka's pace.

They walked for hours and Sokka swung his machete for hours. The whole time, Katara called for Appa and Momo, joined by Gohan and Aang occasionally. It could've been quite humerous if they weren't trying to be somewhere.

During this long walk, Gohan noticed that the feeling he had had greatly diminished. It was still strong, but not as strong as it was before.

Now Gohan found himself with his arms crossed behind his head as he walked leisurely besides Sokka.

'I think we're going the wrong way,' he thought. 'Unless they're dead or traveling in the same direction as us.'

"Appa!" Katara suddenly called out. "Momo!" she called again.

"There's no way they can hear us. And there's no way we can see them, "Sokka told them. "We'll have to make camp for the night," he said.

A puff of smoke puffed behind them.

"What was that?" Katara asked frightened while turning around. She hid halfway behind Gohan.

"Nothing, just swamp gas," Sokka told her. "Look, there's nothing supernatural going in here," he told them.

When he finished saying that, they got a whiff of the gas.

Gohan waved his hand in front of him to get the awful smell away.

A blood curdling screech then pierced their ears and they braced themselves for combat. Well, Gohan did. The others simply huddled together behind him.

They looked around for the source of the sound before a second screech echoed.

"I think we should build a fire," Sokka said as he ran to a nearby outstretched root. He cut off a piece and picked it up.

"Sokka, the longer we're here, the more I think we shouldn't be doing that," Aang told the warrior warningly.

"No, I asked the swamp. It said this was fine," he said as he grabbed an erect branch. "Right swamp?" he questioned it. "No problem Sokka," he said with a different voice.

Letting go of the branch, he grabbed his machete, and cut it in half. He cut another one and it fell to the ground. Picking up the pieces of wood, he began walking away from the others and towards a tree with the base of the trunk hollowed out.

Inside, Sokka put the wood on the floor and fumbled about trying to start a fire.

Gohan snapped his fingers and a wisp of fire came out of his index finger and onto the wood, successfully starting the fire.

"Thanks," Sokka grumbled as he sat down besides the fire.

Gohan smiled as he stretched. "No problem," he said as he sat down.

Aang did the same, but Katara looked behind, almost as if she was checking to see if someone was behind them.

Sitting, she asked, "Does anyone else get the feeling we're being watched?"

"Please. We're all alone out here," Sokka told her sourly.

"I'm not quite sure," Gohan told them as he lied on his back.

Closing his eyes, sleep came easy to Gohan. He roughed it out in the wilderness for six months before. The others, however, were on edge the entire night. They even positioned themselves with their backs together in a seated position before they went to sleep.

Later, when they were all completely asleep, not a single one of them felt twelve vines coil around their bodies. Three for each of them. It wasn't until they felt the simultaneous pull of all the vines.

Gohan was pulled for several dozen meters before he muscled his way loose.

He flipped off his hands and landed on his feet but stumbled back and a vine coiled around his ankle. Seconds later, he was wrapped in even more vines than the first time and dragged some more.

Tired of this, Gohan let his fire explode! His blue flames destroyed the vines completely.

Looking around, he couldn't even see ten feet in front of him; the fog was obscuring his view. He began walking towards the direction he came.

He took a few steps and saw something out of the corner of his eye.

Turning, he gasped when he saw the Fire Nation Princess in a deep red dress walking away on a overgrown root.

He blinked and she disappeared. He looked around for her, but she was nowhere to be seen.

'Trick of the light," he thought. Then he noticed that it was still night time. 'Or lack of light," he corrected himself.

He began walking back to where he thought the others were. He could faintly sense Aang's energy, and thought it best to follow it.

He jumped from the murky water and onto a high up branch before darting from one tree to the other.

But Aang was traveling in zig zags, so it was hard to keep a lock on his power level.

When he was half way there, he saw 'her' again. The Fire Nation Princess.

"Alright, I guess it wasn't a light trick," he said. "I think I might just be losing it," he said as he started towards the girl.

She walked behind a tree and when he got there, she was gone. Sighing, he rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

When he reopened them, he was shocked to see her less than two feet away from him. Stumbling back a little from shock, he started sweating a little as she walked past him.

Unsure of what to do, he started following her. She turned past a a warped tree trunk and disappeared again.

Reappearing a few meters away on a tall tree branch, Gohan took off after her again.

And again, like last time, he had to change direction because she disappeared and reappeared somewhere else.

This went on for several minutes before she stopped on a large tree root. She was facing away from her, so when he stopped behind her, he grabbed her lightly on the shoulder and turned her around.

"Gah!" Sokka aimed his machete at Gohan.

"S-Sokka?" Gohan questioned.

"I've been looking for you guys everywhere," Sokka complained. "Where is Katara and Aang?" he asked.

"I don't -" Gohan was cut off by some rustling nearby.

Sokka got into a stance while Gohan looked up. He saw Katara and Aang tumbling down the large root. He sidestepped and watched them pile up on Sokka.

"What do you guys think you're doing?" the oldest boy asked angrily. "I've been looking all over for you!" he shouted.

"Well I've been wandering around looking for you!" Katara yelled back, equally frustrated.

"I've been chasing some girl," Aang said as he got to his feet.

"Me too," Gohan said as he offered a hand to help Katara up.

"What girl?" Katara asked them as she accepted it, feeling a small twinge of jealousy.

"I don't know, it was some girl in a fancy dress," Aang answered as he rubbed the back of his head.

"It was the Fire Nation Princess from Omashu. You know, the girl that can bend blue fire," Gohan told them. "She was also wearing a fancy dress," he added.

He got shocked stares from the others.

"Well, there must be a tea party here; and we just didn't get our invitations," Sokka said sarcastically.

"I thought I saw mom," Katara said softly.

Gohan knew that was a touchy subject for the Water Tribe siblings. He knew of the loss they suffered.

"Look, we were all just scared, and hungry, and our minds were playing tricks on us. That's why we all saw things out here," Sokka explained.

"What did you see, Sokka?" Gohan asked curiously, picking up on the usage of the word 'we'.

"I thought I saw Yue," Sokka answered with his back turned. "But that doesn't prove anything," he said before turning back to them. "Look, I think about her all the time," he told them. "You saw mom; someone you miss a lot," he told Katara.

"What about us?" Aang asked while pointing to himself and Gohan. "I didn't know the girl I saw, and he saw the girl from Omashu. And all our visions led us right here," he pointed out.

"Ok," Katara drew out. "Where's here? The middle of the swamp?" She asked.

"I think the swamp tried to reunite us,' Gohan thought as he looked up at a gigantic tree trunk. And true to Katara's question, he saw that they were now at the center of the swamp.

"Yeah, the center. It's the center of the swamp. It's -" Gohan cut Aang off with a sharp turn around.

The hybrid looked down at the swamp water below him. He could sense someone down there.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Katara asked.

"Down, in the water; ther-" Gohan's explanation was cut off by a swamp thing emerging from the water in front of them.

"Agh!" Aang, Sokka, and Katara screamed as they ran away.

Gohan stood ground and fired a fireball at the creature's center. He watched as the vines in that area shriveled up before being replaced.

The swamp creature shot it's vines out and tried wrapping them around him. He jumped out of the way and shot two more fireballs while he was still in air.

Aang sent an air-slice that cut the creature's outstretched vine arm off. It responded by smacking the Avatar away with it's other arm.

'Well… I've been thinking about doing this for a while now.' Gohan thought as Sokka ran from the creatures vines.

Cupping his hands at his side, he began generating blue fire between his palms.

'Wait a second… what if this thing is attacking us because we destroyed some vines?' he asked himself as Katara began slicing vines off of it with Waterbending.

Rushing forward, he positioned himself between Katara and the creature. He was waving his hands around to signal it.

"Gohan, what are you doing?" Katara hissed.

"Hey!" Gohan shouted. "We come in peace! We just want to find our bison and and leave!" he exclaimed.

To the rest of the gang's complete shock, the creature stopped moving and started shrinking until the vines all went limp, revealing a half naked old man.

"Why'd you call us here if you just wanted to kill us?" Aang asked.

"I didn't call you here," the man denied.

The gang looked amongst each other. None dropping their defensive stances.

"We were flying over when I heard something calling to me; telling me to land," Aang told the man.

"He's the Avatar. Stuff like that happens to us a lot," Sokka explained.

"The Avatar," the man said in awe. "Come with me," he demanded.

Letting their arms drop, the group of minors looked to each other before following the man, who's name was Huu.

They didn't go far; just up half a mile up the tree. Gohan heard Katara ask the man who he was.

"I protect the swamp from folks that want to hurt it," Huu answered as he moved a vine out of the path and stepped aside, letting the gang pass him. "Like this fellow with his big knife," he said, indicating Sokka.

"See?" Sokka asked his friends and sister. "Nothing mystical about it," he told them.

"Oh, the swamp is a mystical place, alright," Huu said as he passed them again. "It's sacred; I reached enlightenment right here under the Banyon Grove Tree," he said as he stopped just before a crook in the large roots. He sat and crossed his legs before continuing: "I heard it calling me; just like you did," he told Aang.

"Sure you did," Sokka rolled his eyes. "It seems real chatty," he said sarcastically before frowning.

"See, this whole swamp is actually one tree spread out over miles. Branches spread and sink and take root and then spread some more. One big, living organism. Just like the entire world," Huu told them.

Gohan nodded his head in understanding. He knew what Huu was talking about. He knew this already. But he could tell the others were confused.

"I get how the tree is one big thing, but… the whole world?" Aang questioned skeptically.

"Sure. You think you're any different from me, or your friends? Or this tree? If you listen hard enough, you can hear every living thing living together. You can feel everything growing," Huu said. "We're all living together. Even if most folks don't act like it; we all have the same roots. And we're all branches of the same tree," he told them.

"But what about our visions?" Katara asked. "What do they mean?"

Gohan noticed that everyone was now seated except for him. Sitting, he listened to the answer:

"In the swamp, we see visions of people we've lost. People we loved. Folks we think are gone. But the swamp tells us they're not. We're still connected to them. Time is an illusion, and so is death," Huu told them.

"But what about my vision?" Aang asked. "It was someone I had never met," he said.

"You're the Avatar, you tell me," Huu said knowingly.

"Time is an illusion," the boy drew out slowly. "So… it's someone I will meet," he said.

"But I already met the girl from my vision," Gohan said after the man winked at Aang. "Does that mean I'll meet her again, or that I'll see her again?" he asked.

Huu nodded.

'So I'll see her again. I guess that's inevitable. But why was she wearing a dress?' Gohan thought.

"Sorry to interrupt the lesson, but we still have to find Appa and Momo," Sokka said.

"I think I know how to find them," Aang said as he shifted to one knee and placed his hand on the tree beneath him with his eyes closed. "Everything… is connected," he said as tattoo on his hand glowed.

Seconds later, he opened his eyes. "Come on, we've gotta hurry," he told them as they started running down the the way they came.

Reaching the base of the tree, they turned right, instead of left, and ran to where Aang knew Appa was.

It wasn't long before they reached the area. They saw Appa caught in a net by swamp people.

Acting fast, Aang destroyed one of the small boats with an Airbending slice. Sending two men soaring away.

In another canoe, a man had Momo in a bag. Aang sent the man into the water with another blast of air. Effectively freeing Momo in the process.

"We're under attack," the other man shouted. He then tried to send a wave at Katara and Aang.

They kept it at bay with their own Waterbending, slowly inching it back at the man.

"Hey, you guys are Waterbenders," Katara pointed out.

"You, too?" the man questioned. "That means we're kin, he said happily as he released his hold on the water.

Gohan looked between the man, Sokka, and Katara. 'Sharing the ability to bend the same element doesn't mean your related to someone. I'm not related to anyone here,' he thought as Sokka and Huu ran up to them.

"Hey Huu, how've you' been?" the man asked.

"You know, scared some folks, swung some vines; the usual," Huu answered.

"Huu?" Sokka repeated the name. It sounded odd and unintelligent to him.

* * *

><p>Admiral Zhao watched as a messenger hawk landed on the ship's conning tower railing in front of him.<p>

Frowning, he grabbed the message from the canister. He opened the scroll to read it.

_'All ships are to report to the nearest Fire Nation inspection port. There have been several incidents where our own ships have been captured by the enemies._

_If not at a station within a week, if seen on the seas, you'll be treated like the enemy and attacked._

_General Phool_'

Silently fuming, a vein popped out on his forehead. This was a major setback in his plans.

"Set a course for the nearest Fire Nation port," Zhao ordered the helmsman before leaving.

'This is going to delay my plans,' he thought. 'But as long as I take care of that boy and the Avatar, it'll be fine,' he mused.

"Then the Princess will be mine," he said with a leer.

* * *

><p>The day passed quickly and now the gang sat around a campfire with Huu, Due, Tho, Appa, Momo, and Slim.<p>

They would've left on Appa, but the ten ton bison was tired and needed rest.

Now, Gohan was asleep while the others talked leisurely. All was forgiven for the day; no harm no foul.

It felt like he wasn't even sleep that long, because, before he knew it, he was being awakened by Aang; telling him to get on Appa.

_Gohan slowly climbed into the saddle before Appa flew off. In the air, Gohan went right back to sleep._

_Gohan opened his eyes to see cold, evil, pink eyes staring at him. It didn't even take him a second to know who it was. Cell._

_"Cell." He snarled._

_"What's the matter, Gohan? Still upset about me killing your father?" The android feigned sadness. "Wait. In a way, it was actually you that killed him," Cell laughed at him._

_Gohan shook with rage. His father's death was a sore spot for him. A healing wound, but still sore. But, having it brought up by the very being responsible angered him!_

_"Come now, Gohan, Goku died for your failure. It's true. But, what about your new friends?" Cell questioned._

_Gohan's breath caught._

_"I wonder how you're going to fail them, and watch as they die, too," the strongest android sneered._

Gohan woke up then. He didn't know why, but he sometimes got nightmares about Cell, the Cell Games, and his father dying.

Gohan sat silently while his friends all slept. Katara looked peaceful as always, Sokka was snoring, and Aang was curled in a ball on top of Appa.

Sighing, he lied back down and stared up at the night time sky. Even though this was a different universe, he felt like he could look up, and see his father watching over him.

Two days passed since then. It was early in the morning, and they were all still asleep.

That was, until Gohan sensed several agitated energy signals approaching them.

Crawling out of his sleeping bag, he said, "Guys, wake up!"

"Huh?" Aang questioned as he sat up. He didn't see or hear anyone. What was Gohan talking about?

"Come on, let's get packed before they get here," Gohan hurried them as he went around gathering their stuff and tossing them onto Appa's saddle.

It wasn't long before he could hear the sound of heavy footsteps coming from all directions.

Soon, the others heard them as well. But, by then, they had everything gathered and tied down on Appa.

"Yip-yip," Aang said from Appa's head, giving the command for the bison to start flying.

From the saddle, Gohan, Sokka, and Katara watched as five men on rhinos raided their campsite.

"How'd you know they were coming?" Katara asked. Then she thought of all the other times Gohan knew people were there before they did. "And all those other times, too?" she added.

"I can sense them," Gohan shrugged as he lied back down and faced the sky. "Everyone has this energy inside of them. And I could sense it. I could also search and feel out their feelings too," he told them.

"Is their anything else you can do?" Sokka asked rhetorically.

Gohan laughed a little. If he could bring out his Ki, he'd show them all his tricks. But, he couldn't.

It didn't take long for them to reach the next village. But they didn't land there. Instead, there was a small little shack off to the side that sold food; that's where they landed.

Aang told Appa and Momo to wait for them to get food. Then they'd take off again.

They went to the little shack and ordered some 'produce'. The man happily went to retrieve their order.

They didn't have long to wait.

"Here's your produce, boomerang guy," the man said with a grin as he handed a tightly woven basket to Sokka.

Gohan, Sokka, and Aang walked a few feet away while Katara payed the man.

"Hey, Water Tribe money," the man said enthusiastically.

"Is that ok?" Katara asked.

"So long as it's money," the man said cheekily as he closed his shop. "Have a nice Avatar Day!" he said as he began walking away.

"Avatar Day?" Aang questioned the man.

Doing a slow spin, the man answered, "you guys going to the festival, right?"

"We don't really have time to," Sokka said

"Sure we do, why not?" Aang asked him, feeling happy about the prospect of going to a festival in his honor.

Sokka looked to Gohan and Katara for their input.

"Hey, he's the Avatar, and it's Avatar Day. I don't see a problem with just going," Gohan said.

Katara just smiled and nodded her head in agreement.

"Fine, as long as we leave before tomorrow," Sokka reluctantly agreed as they began walking down the trail that led to the village.

It didn't take long to get to the village. They saw the happiness that everyone there was brimming with. The Avatar must've done something that made them happy. Or they must really love the Avatar.

The festival music was lively. Everyone was having a good time; dancing, singing, playing, talking. Everything all at once.

"There's a holiday for the Avatar," Aang said. "Who knew?"

"Look," Katara pointed to a giant Avatar Kyoshi float. "They made a giant Kyoshi float," she said.

They ran over to get a better look at it and noticed that there was an Avatar Roku float after it.

"And here comes Avatar Roku," Sokka said.

"Having a huge festival in your honor is great, but frankly, it's just nice to be appreciated," Aang said to Katara.

"And it's nice to appreciate their deep-fried festival food," Sokka said as he took a bite out of something Gohan wasn't familiar with.

"Hey, look," Katara pointed to a giant Aang float being wheeled in.

"That's the biggest me I've ever seen," Aang commented.

They watched as the last float slowed to a halt right besides the others. People started cheering.

The cheers only grew when a half naked man wielding a torch started running towards the floats.

"A torch. That's a nice prop. It's bright, dangerous, *sniff* smells manly," Sokka said as the man ran past them. "I'm not sure I can carry it off," he said as he took another bite of his food.

"Hey, what's that guy doing?" Katara asked no one in particular as the man ran and jumped through the Kyoshi float with the torch in hand.

Flames immediate followed afterwards as the crowd started chanting, "Down with the Avatar" over and over.

Gohan saw the flames and without thinking, took control of the fire and started keeping it from spreading. He could see the bewildered looks on his friends' faces and knew that they were shocked.

He pulled the flames off of the Roku and Kyoshi before diminishing it in the air, surprising everyone.

Aang, frowning, jumped all the way to the top of the float of him and removed the hat covering his arrow tattoo on his head, letting the people get a good look at him.

"It's the Avatar himself," a man with a Fu Manchu mustache pointed out.

"It's going to kill us with it's awesome Avatar powers," another man shouted.

"No, I'm not," Aang told them as he raised his hand to reassure them.

People got frightened just from the simple action of him raising his hand. Many cowered and ducked for cover.

"I suggest you leave, Avatar," The man Gohan deduced as the village leader said once he regained his composer. "You're not welcome here," he said.

"Why not?" Katara asked. "Aang helps people," she told the man.

"It's true," Aang said as he landed in front of them. "I'm on your side," he added.

"I find that hard to swallow. Considering what you did to us in your past life," the man accused. "It was Avatar Kyoshi. She murdered our glorious leader, Chin The Great."

"You think that I… murdered someone?" Aang asked sadly.

"Aang would never do something like that; no Avatar would. And it's not fair for you all to question his honor," Katara said.

"Let's tell her what we think about the Avatar's… honor," a man said before turning around and doing a fart noise with his mouth with his rear facing them.

The crowds of people seemed to agree with this because there was an uproar of cheers.

"Give me a chance to clear my name," Aang pleaded with them.

"The only way to prove your innocence is to stand trial," the man said while holding back a sneer.

Gohan could feel the man's feelings and knew he was being deceitful.

"I'll gladly stand trial," Aang declared.

"You'll have to follow all our rules. That includes paying bail," the man said.

"Not a problem," Aang said.

And that is how Aang and Gohan ended up in jail. Gohan was surprised that he had to go. The man said Fire Nation was not allowed anywhere near their village. He tried to explain why he was able to Firebend, but they wouldn't listen.

He stood right with Aang at the front of the cell. He could sense a group of people behind them, but he was frowning at Aang right now.

"How was I supposed to know they wouldn't accept Water Tribe money?" Aang asked them.

"So some people don't like you, big deal, there's a whole Nation of Firebenders that hate you," Sokka tried to look on the bright side of the situation. "Now, Gohan, how about you get the two of you out of there with some Firebender action?"

"No, we can't." Aang told them, stopping Gohan.

"Sure he can. Just a little foosh, fireblast, boom, and we're outta here," Sokka said.

"I think what master foosh is trying to say is," Katara started. "You're supposed to be out saving the world. You can't do that locked up in here," she told him.

"I can't do that with people thinking I'm a murderer, either," Aang told them. "I need you guys-"

He was cut off by Gohan melting the bars away with a concentrated finger flame.

"What are you doing?" Aang asked, alarmed.

"Your reasoning is flawed. Are you really willing to let the world fall into the Fire Nation's hands because of what a village of people say happened in a past life, three hundred years ago?" Gohan asked as he pulled the bars away.

"I…" Aang started.

"You're not Kyoshi. What she did three hundred years has nothing to do with you," Gohan told him as he stepped through the doorway. He looked back at Aang expectantly.

Sighing, Aang stepped through. Gohan put the bars back up and wielded them back with his Firebending.

"Look, if it really means this much to you, we can always come back to prove your innocence. I didn't mean to sound harsh, but we have much more important things to take care of," Gohan told him.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Aang said sadly as they started walking away.

They ran from the village without much trouble. No one really noticed them because they were milling about, minding their own business.

They met back with Appa and Momo before flying off.

They flew away from the village an to a clearing several miles away with a lake nearby. They immediately began unpacking.

"Aang, after this, let's go practice some Waterbending," Katara suggested.

"Alright," Aang happily agreed.

Gohan, after he finished getting his stuff ready, decided to practice his psychokinesis.

He walked away from the campsite and between two trees. Where he sat cross legged. He was ready to move onto heavier objects.

There was a rock the right in front of him that was a pretty decent size.

Concentrating, he began.

* * *

><p>In the higher realms of existence, three beings conversed over the past few days about the young half-Saiyan.<p>

"Do you even remember why we're even all here?" Barkarot asked Agni.

"Of course I do. I'm the Fire Spirit. Not some senile old man!" Agni spat.

~Several millennia ago~

The first God of Destruction began craving destruction. Destroying things brought great pleasure to him. The power he wielded corrupted his Godly Mind and he began destroying the universe faster than the God of Creation could create.

Whis warned him one time about this, telling him that if he were to continue his path of unreasonable destruction, he would have to be put down.

Now, the God of Destruction couldn't just sit and not destroy. Destruction was like a drug, a very addictive drug that he could not knock away. But Whis was his master; he could not go against his word.

A solution came in another universe. The always angry God started laying waste to the universe and when he got to a certain galaxy, he was met by the Fire Spirit, Agni, and his family.

They fought. In the end, only Agni was left standing.

After discovering what the God of Destruction did, Whis traveled to this other universe and confronted Agni about the death of his pupil.

Agni recounted the entire situation to Whis. Though, Whis couldn't bring Agni's family back to life, he could bring his pupil back. But he chose not to.

But the loss of Agni's family wasn't the only loss. A mortal was killed. But not any ordinary mortal. It was the soon to be Fire Lady. A woman who was a Firebending genius. She was the first person to bend blue fire.

She was going to wed into the Royal Family. Now, Agni demanded a powerful person to be brought over to this universe and be wed into the Royal Family. Whis agreed and a prophecy was created.

Now, Whis was a busy God. He didn't have time to go search the universe for a suitable being to replace the dead girl.

He had to find and train the next God of Destruction; Bills. Not to mention the fact that he had to Create worlds.

When he had time to, he asked beings that resembled the humans from the other universe and powerful enough to replace the woman.

The humans of his universe weren't powerful so he couldn't use them.

There were very few Gods in the universe. So when Barkarot became the very first Super Saiyan God, Whis was intrigued. He knew the Saiyans. They were evil. Imagine his surprise when he discovered that Barkarot was pure of heart.

He asked the Super Saiyan God if he would allow one of his descendants to be brought to another universe to marry into royalty.

Barkarot agreed. He had confidence that anyone of his blood would be good.

But, his only two sons, Bardock and Kakarot, had fallen to the dark side after only having evil Saiyans as influences in their lives.

Many millennia passed before the Saiyans were destroyed by Freeza. Now, only two of Barkarot's descendants were left alive. Raditz and Kakarot. Since Raditz was already evil, the Gods decided to keep an eye on Kakarot.

Things weren't looking so good. That was until the Saiyan infant hit his head and became Goku.

Years later, when Goku met Chi Chi, Agni recognized her. She looked a lot like the woman that was to wed into the Royal Family many years ago.

The investigated, and as it turns out, Chi Chi was the daughter of the woman they believed dead for several thousand years.

Agni suggested that they just use Chi Chi instead of Barkarot's descendant. Whis pointed out that Chi Chi wasn't even powerful. Plus, she already promised her hand to Goku.

Azula was born, and then Gohan. It was decided that Gohan would be taken over to the other universe.

Fourteen years later, Gohan was transported over to the other universe where he would have an unnatural attraction to Azula and they would eventually meet, fall in love, mate, and create powerful offspring.

That was the plan. But… plans don't always fall through.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: There you have it. Another chapter. It's different from the ATLA version of the story. You will all see that the story will become very AU eventually.<strong>

**As you all read, there's a reason why Gohan was brought over to the ATLA universe. I hope you all liked it.**

**And for those worrying about Gohan's powers: they will be coming back eventually. I can guarantee you that he'll get them back before season three starts.**

**Q/A**

**Q: :Good chapter. When will Gohan and Azula romance?**

**A: Will they truly ever Romance? I mean, who would want a crazy girlfriend?**

**Q: :Impressive Chapter. When will Gohan and Azula fight each other?**

**A: If they fight, it'll be next chapter. That's when they meet face to face.**

**Q: :What Chakra or Chakras will Gohan Utilize?**

**A:**

**From: Chakra and Chi (Guest)**

**Chakra and Chi:avatar Universe:**

**Chi: is basically the life energy that dwells in every Living being that connects them to each other, their surroundings, and the Universe as a Whole.**

**Chakra is basically concentrated Clusters Of Chi.**

**There are 7 Types of Chakra.**

**The Earth Chakra deals with Survival and is blocked by Fear.**

**The Water Chakra deals with Pleasure and is blocked by Guilt.**

**The Fire Chakra deals with Willpower and is blocked by Shame.**

**The Air Chakra deals with Love and is Blocked by Grief.**

**The Sound Chakra deals with Truth and is blocked by Lies.**

**The Light Chakra deals with Insight and is blocked by Illusion.**

**The Thought Chakra deals with Cosmic Enegy and is Blocked by Earthly Attachments.**

**So, I don't know if I'm correct with my answer for this, but I'd say Gohan would have the Earth, Air, Sound, Light, and Thought.**

**Saying this, it's because he would have Fire because his shame of what happened at the Cell Games. The Water wouldn't be with him because he feels guilt for what happened at the Cell Games.**

**I don't know how he'd utilize them, though.**

**And I'd like to thank Chakra and Chi for telling me about this.**

**Ok, till next time, Read and Review.**


	12. Chapter 13: New recruit and being chased

**Chapter Twelve**

* * *

><p>Gohan stood with his arms folded behind his head as Sokka examined an Earth Kingdom bag. The people of Gaoling went about there day without a care in the world.<p>

After leaving that Earth Kingdom village, the gang saw the Rough Rhino Gang heading towards the village. They led them off course before doubling around and away.

That was two days ago.

"It's pricey… but I really do like it," Sokka said, sounding indecisive as he further examined the bag.

Gohan looked down at the bag. It looked like a satchel to him.

"Then you should get it," Katara told him from beside Gohan. "You deserve something nice," she said.

"I do, don't I?" Sokka questioned. "But, no. It's too expensive, I shouldn't," he said.

"Alright, then don't," Katara said indifferently as she and Aang walked away, Gohan and Sokka following soon after.

"You know what, I'm gonna get it," Sokka said as he turned back to it with Gohan.

The clerk smiled as he went in the back to retrieve a spare model of the bag. He returned soon after with the exact same bag in hand.

"So, you sure you want it?" He asked as Sokka handed him five silver pieces.

"Yes," Sokka nodded.

"Well, here you go," the clerk handed the bag to Sokka.

"Thank you," said Sokka as he and Gohan turned away.

"You're welcome. And have a wonderful day," the clerk waved to them.

"You, too," both teens replied as they started towards Katara and Aang.

The Waterbender and Airbender were looking at a flyer for Earthbending instruction.

"I guess I'll give it a try," Aang shrugged as they began navigating the busy streets of the city.

Master Yu's Earthbending Academy. It sounded like a good place to find a good teacher.

When they finally found it, Aang received a uniform that was required of all the students to wear. The Avatar was the only one to enter the building because his friends sat outside the school waiting for him.

Several long minutes passed before Aang came walking out. They all looked to him expectantly.

"Eh, he's not the one," Aang shrugged as he dusted himself off.

"I think The Boulder is going to take back the belt at Earth Rumble six," a boy with a Mohawk said confidently as he and his friend walked passed them.

"He's gonna have to fight his way through the best Earthbenders in the world to even get a shot at the champ," the other boy said.

Interested in their conversation, running over to them, Aang asked, "Excuse me, but where is this Earthbending tournament, exactly?"

"Oh, it's on the island of none-ya; none-ya business," one of the boys answered rudely as they laughed and walked away.

Sokka laughed at the joke, his sense of humor overshadowing the fact that they just got blown off by the two boys.

"Oh, I gotta remember that one," Sokka laughed.

Aang just looked disappointed as Katara walked forward.

"I'll take care of this," she told the young Avatar as she walked past him and towards the retreating boys. "Hey, strong guys, wait up," she called after them as she chased them into a ally.

Gohan looked over when Sokka gestured to his bag.

"What was I thinking? I don't need a new bag," he said. "Why'd you guys let me by this?" he asked Aang and Gohan as he dropped it to the ground. Momo climes inside of it.

Katara came running over with the information she extracted from the two rude boys.

"You ready to find an Earthbending teacher?" she asked Aang excitedly. "Because we're going to Earth Rumble Six!" she declared.

"How'd you get them to tell you?" Aang asked while Sokka messed around with Momo in his bag.

"Oh, a girl has her ways," she answered distantly, thinking of the two boys she left frozen in the ally.

"Where is this Earth Rumble Six taking place?" Gohan asked.

"It's in an underground area not too far from here," she answered as they began walking away.

They walked for a few minutes before finally reaching a clearing outside the town.

However, they had a few hours to wait before nightfall came and they were ready to enter.

"Alright, buddy," Aang patted Appa on the head. "Go hide over there for a while," he said, pointing to a large bush that could hide Appa.

Once the two animals were hidden, the group of four started towards the entrance to the underground arena.

Entering, their ears were assaulted by the thunderous roars of hundreds of people cheering from within. Though, Gohan heard the noise far before his friends.

They walked down a ramp that led to the seat section of the arena.

"Hey, front row seats. I wonder why no one else is sitting here,"!Aang said as the four sat down. Sokka, Aang, Katara, and Gohan in that order from left to right.

His answer came less than a second after the words left his mouth as a large boulder crashed into the stadium seats next to Sokka.

They all involuntarily flinched before looking over to the boulder. Katara and Gohan on their feet.

"I guess that's why," Sokka said.

Their attention was drawn to the round, tiled, elevated ring in the middle of the arena as a man showed off a display of Earthbending before creating a cylinder shaped rock formation that lifted him several feet into the air.

"Welcome to Earth Rumble Six!" XIn Fu bellowed as he struck a pose. "I am your host Xin Fu!" he projected his voice through the entire arena.

"*sigh* This is just gonna be a bunch of guys chucking rocks at each other, isn't it?" Katara asked, boredom evident in her voice and posture as she was slightly turned away from her brother and Aang, facing Gohan.

"That's what I payed for!" Sokka said excitedly.

"The rules are simple!" Xin Fu continued. "Just knock the other guy out of the ring, and you win!" he declared as he used earthbending to hurl him to his referee box where he would watch the fights as referee.

No sooner that he left that a muscle man known as 'The Boulder' jumped onto the ring and started posing.

"Round one: The Boulder versus The Big Bad Hippo!" Xin Fu said.

Gohan watched with slight interest as The Boulder made his claim to Hippo. He was reminded of Mr Satan and Recoome a little.

The fight didn't last long. The Boulder did what he said and one easily by knocking Hippo out of the ring.

"How about The Boulder?" Katara questioned Aang. "He's got some good moves," she pointed out.

"Eh - I don't know," Aang answered uncertainly as he looked away. "Bumi said I need a teacher that listens to the earth. He's just listening to his big muscles," he said before looking over to Gohan. "What do you think, Gohan?" he asked.

"I agree. He looks more like the kind of guy that only listens to himself," Gohan answered.

Aang nodded in understanding before turning to Sokka. "Sokka?" he asked.

The Water Tribe warrior was busy laughing and taunting the downed Hippo, oblivious to the question all together.

The matches that followed all ended in the same manner as the first one. All quick victories for The Boulder.

An hour later, Xin Fu stood in his referee box with a light centered on him.

"Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for…" he trailed off as the light began moving from Xin Fu to someone else. "… The Boulder versus your champion, The Blind Bandit!" he exclaimed as the light shined on a girl no older than Aang holding a champions belt as high as she could between to women dressed in white.

The crowd erupted into cheers as the lighting returned to normal.

The Blind Bandit turned to one of the women and handed her the champions belt, while the other took a cape that was too long for her from her shoulders.

Now the champ was ready to fight.

In the stands, the Gaang watched with interest as the girl stood facing The Boulder.

"She can't really be blind," Katara said skeptically. "It's just apart of her character, right?" she asked suspiciously.

"I think she is," Aang answered.

"I think she is… GOING DOWN!" Sokka shouted.

"Well… she isn't the champion for nothing, Sokka," Gohan pointed out with a chuckle as he returned his line of sight back to the ring. "I think she'll win."

"The Boulder feels conflicted about fighting a young, blind girl," The Boulder said to the girl across from him.

"Sounds to me like you're scared, Boulder," the Blind Bandit retorted mockingly as she faced him.

"The Boulder's over his conflicted feelings and is now ready to burry you in a Rock-alanche!" the Boulder replied while flexing for emphasis.

"Whenever you're ready, The Pebble!" the Blind Bandit mocked him before she started laughing maniacally.

"It's on!"

It was do or die time as the Gaang watched the two combatants. With The Boulder's earlier display of strength and power in his fights, lots of people expected a quick win from the man.

However, like Gohan said, The Blind Bandit wasn't the champ for nothing.

The Boulder started first. He stomped down once before lifting his other leg in the air. He was going to finish this fight quick and send The Blind Bandit into the air before using his signature move. The Boulder Drop!

But, just as his foot began it's decent down, The Blind Bandit nimbly kicked the ground in front of her, sending a trail of rocks towards the exact spot The Boulder's foot was going to land.

And when it landed, he was forced into a split as his foot was dragged away.

He let out a pain filled scream before The Blind Bandit sent him out of the ring.

"Your winner, and still the champion, The Blind Bandit!" Xin Fu announced as the crowd cheered, save for Sokka who wailed in disappointment.

"How did she do that?" Katara asked, impressed at the display of finesse skill by the Blind Bandit.

"She waited… and listened," Aang said happily.

"Then she's definitely the teacher you've been looking for," Gohan said as Xin Fu burrowed into the ring.

"To make things a little more interesting," Xin Fu started as he held up a sack of coins." I'm offering up this bag of gold pieces to anyone that can defeat the Blind Bandit!" he declared.

In that instant, everyone in the stadium shut up. Not a sound was made because everyone feared the girl.

Gohan thought about it. Sure, he could manipulate the ground, but he wasn't sure he was good enough to actually fool people into thinking he was Earthbending. But he also wanted to test his skill against her.

However, before he could make up his mind…

Aang jumped from his seat in the stands and onto the ground below before marching up a set of stairs onto the ring.

"What?" Xin Fu exclaimed. "Is everyone too scared to face her?" he asked, attacking their pride.

"I'm not!" Aang said cheerfully as he reached the ring and walked over to face the champ. He didn't want to fight her, he wanted to ask her something.

The Avatar didn't notice the sad look Xin Fu had. The host didn't want anyone to fight and for him to possibly lose his money.

Xin Fu leapt from the ring and into his referee stand, again, for the umpteenth time that night.

In the stands, Sokka's attitude cheered up again. "Go Aang! Avenge The Boulder!" he he shouted to his friend.

"Do people really want to see two little girls fighting out here?" The Blind Bandit asked him mockingly.

There was a chorus of "Ooo's" in the stands.

"I don't want to fight you, I want to talk to you," Aang told her with raised hands to show that he wasn't there for violence. Even though she couldn't 'see' it.

"Boo! No talking!" Sokka booed from the stands.

"Don't boo him!" Katara reprimanded her brother.

Aang made the mistake of moving his foot forward. That's when The Blind Banding shuffled her foot forward, causing a rock to protrude from the ground.

Aang leapt from the rock lightly. He landed softly behind her.

"Somebody's a little light on his feet," she said. "What's your fighting name, the fancy dancer?"

Aang grinned sheepishly and shrugged before jumping off another attack she sent his way.

"Please, wait!" Aang tried to stop her.

"There you are," she declared as she brought a small boulder up and shoved it at Aang.

Aang jumped back before sending the attack back towards her with Airbending.

She was ejected from the ring unceremoniously, shocking everyone.

"Did he just use Airbending?" Gohan asked as the crowed cheered, muffling his question.

Aang ran to the stairs and ran half way down to get a view of the retreating form of the ex-champ.

"Please, listen, I need an Earthbending teacher and I think it's supposed to be you," he told her.

"Whoever you are, just leave me alone," she fumed.

He chased after her but she walked into a wall using earthbending and then closed it afterwards, leaving Aang feeling dejected.

The Avatar had to walk back to the center of the ring.

Gohan, Sokka, and Katara also made their way to the ring, accompanied be several other random people.

When they met in the center, Xin Fu was there with the champion's belt and bag of gold coins.

Sokka accepted them both after giving the host a hug. "Way to go, Champ," he congratulated Aang, even though he was more happy for himself.

"Hey there, kid," Xin Fu greeted Aang. "Would you like a job here?" he asked.

"No thank you." Aang answered as they started out of the ring and towards the exit.

"Hey, Aang," Gohan grabbed the Avatar's attention. Aang looked over. "Don't worry, just give her the night to cool off and we can go looking for her tomorrow," he said, smiling assuringly as they left the arena.

That night, Aang slept better than what he would've if not for Gohan's ability to sense a person's presence.

* * *

><p>In the morning, they all went back to the town to find the Blind Bandit. Gohan was leading them in the direction he felt her in.<p>

They came up to a huge home that was gated by tall stone walls about five feet tall. The home itself looked like any traditional Earth Kingdom home in color, but it's design was far superior to any other home.

All in all, it looked real fancy.

In the front of the home, they could see a Flying Boar, the Bei Fong Family's symbol, imprinted above the front door in a brilliant design. Which was being guarded by two Earthbenders.

"That's the flying boar from my vision," Aang told them. "C'mon," he said as they backed away slowly.

They walked around the stone walls until they reached an open area where they could jump over it and into the garden of the Bei Fongs.

Gohan and Aang went up and over with ease while the Water Tribe siblings climbed onto it and over. They weren't even surprised to see that they fell further than what they climbed as they ran over to a bush.

As soon as they reached it, though, they were launched into the air by Earthbending, courtesy of Toph Bei Fong, The Blind Bandit.

Aang landed in a bush; Gohan caught Katara before landing in a bush rather painfully (for her); and Sokka landed hard, chest first, on the grass; Toph stood in front of Aang with a scowl on her face.

"What are you doing here, Twinkle Toes?" she demanded.

"How'd you know it was me?" Aang asked from his position on the bush.

"Don't answer to that. It's not manly," Sokka complained.

Katara would've said something smart about that, but she was up and looking away with a blush on her face. Gohan was looking away too.

"How did you find me?" Toph asked.

"Well, a crazy King told me that I had to find an Earthbending teacher that listens to the earth. Then I had a vision in a magic swamp-" Aang's explanation was cut short by Katara.

"What Aang is trying to say is: he's the Avatar. And if he doesn't master Earthbending soon, he won't be able to defeat the Fire Lord." Katara explained.

Toph responded by pointing her hand at Katara's face. "Not my problem," she said as she began walking away. "Now go. Before I call the guards," she threatened.

"So… what your saying is that, if the Fire Nation manages to win this war, and kills Aang, the Avatar; the only person able to bring peace to the world, and takes over the Earth Kingdom, which I'm pretty sure this town is apart of, it won't be your problem?" Gohan asked.

Toph had stopped and listened to Gohan. His words were compelling, but she wouldn't budge. Aang could find a different Earthbending teacher for all she cared.

"Guards! Guards! Guards, help!" She suddenly cried out.

The Gaang scattered momentarily before running off. They went back to the wall, and Aang sent Katara and Sokka up and over the wall with Airbending before he and Gohan followed.

The bald monk stayed perched on the stone wall, thinking of a plan to get him back over to Toph without being found by the guards. He smiled cunningly as he thought of a good one.

While Aang told the others of his brilliant plan, Gohan's mind was elsewhere. He could feel it. No! He could feel her. The Princess. She was approaching quickly.

He looked into the direction he felt her in and visualized her.

'She'll be here by nightfall,' he thought, guessing by the distance and the speed she was traveling.

The weird bond he shared gave off a feeling whenever she was near and grew stronger the closer she got. He wondered if she could feel it too.

'Maybe that is how she is finding us,' he thought guiltily as he turned back to his friends.

"-so what do you think?" Aang asked.

"Sounds great," Katara said.

"Yeah," Sokka agreed.

They looked back to Gohan. He nodded his head with a smile, feigning agreement.

* * *

><p>Hundreds of miles away, the Princess of the Fire Nation sat on a throne with her two… friends besides her.<p>

She knew they were going in the right direction. Though she was still wondering what her father had in store for the boy who's name eluded her.

She knew she would slay the Avatar and capture the boy. After all, it was her mission; and she never failed a mission. She was a perfectionist after all.

* * *

><p>The Gaang was welcomed into the Bei Fong estate for a meal after Aang explained his Avatar title to the front guards.<p>

Aang sat next to Katara and Sokka next to her. At the end of the table, the head of the table, sat Lao Bei Fong; Toph Bei Fong, Poppy Bei Fong, and Master Yu sat across from Aang, Katara, and Sokka. Gohan sat across the table from Lao eating at a leisure pace.

Toph seemed to be in a foul mood while everyone else, save for Sokka, had smiles on their faces.

A servant that set the prepared food came back to the table and placed hot soup in front of Toph.

Worried that the temperature of the soup would burn his daughter's tongue, Lao said, "Blow on it; it's too hot for her."

The servant was about to comply, but Aang offered to assist instead.

"Allow me," the Avatar said as he held a hand up to create a small wind vortex that cooled the soup.

The adults in the room clapped and complimented Aang on the impressive (to them) feat of Airbending.

"Avatar Aang, it's honor to have you visit us," Poppy sincerely told Aang.

"In your opinion, how much longer do you think the war will last?" Lao asked.

"I'd like to defeat the Fire Lord before the end of summer," Aang answered truthfully. "But… I can't do that without an Earthbending teacher first," he said directed discreetly at the blind Earthbender.

"Well, Master Yu is the finest teacher in all the land. He's been teaching Toph since she was very young," Lao pointed out.

"Then she must be a great Earthbender.m," Aang said. "Probably good enough to teach someone el-" he was cut off by Toph sliding earth to hit him in the shin.

He yelped in pain before frowning at her. She played innocent by eating a small amount of food.

"Toph is still learning the basics," Master Yu pointed out.

"And sadly because of her blindness, I don't think she'll ever become a true master," Lao sighed.

The young travelers looked amongst each other before Aang replied.

"Oh I'm sure she's better than you think she is," Aang said before Toph pulled his chair forward with her Earthbending, causing him to slam face first into his own plate of soup.

This confused the others because they weren't aware that it was Toph causing this.

Aang slid his bowl from his face before wiping the soup juice away. He then smiled before sneezing, creating a gust of wind that sent everything on the table in the direction of his sneeze. Resulting in bowls landing on the faces of Toph, Poppy, and Master Yu.

Before the adults could even react, Toph, angrily, slammed her hands on the table, "What's your problem?" she questioned Aang with a scowl on her face.

"What's your problem?" Aang replied in the same manner, just a little less fierce.

The others were motionless at the sight before Poppy asked if they were to move on for desert.

The request was declined by the Gaang and the four were shown to a room for them to sleep the night.

Appa somehow made it to the window in the room and, in a way, communicated with Aang.

Gohan sat cross legged in a corner while playing with his fire, creating shapes in small amounts.

Katara watched him from her seat on a large bed, still fascinated by his blue flames.

Sokka lied on the bed staring up at the ceiling, thinking of Yue.

Gohan let his small flame flicker out of existence when he felt Toph approaching. He looked over to the door as Aang said goodnight to Appa and Momo.

Aang noticed her and immediately took a defensive stance.

"Relax," Toph said. "Look, I'm sorry about dinner. Let's call a truce, ok?"

Aang relaxed from his stance and smiled. "Sure," he agreed.

They stood there for a moment before walking out of the room, leaving the teens to themselves.

A few silent minutes passed by before Gohan started passing time by solving science questions in his head. He also wondered how far along this world was in science. But from what he has seen so far, and from what Sokka has told him, he could assume that it wasn't very far. His world was hundreds of years ahead. Probably even thousands.

He was so caught up in his musings that he didn't notice the spike in alarm in both Toph's and Aang's energy signatures.

It wasn't until Katara tugged on his short sleeve that he snapped out of it. He could tell that by the look on her face that something wasn't right.

He could tell that Azula wasn't near yet. So what was the problem?

She ran out of the home and he followed until they reached an open area near the wall where they originally jumped over. They saw two dips in the ground that suggested capture by metal imprisonment.

"They're at the Earth Rumble Six arena with all those guys," Gohan told them.

"How can you be sure?" Lao asked.

"Trust me, he's sure." Katara answered for him as Sokka pulled a dagger with a paper attached to it out of the ground.

"Looks like the guys that took Aang and Toph left this," Sokka said.

Katara took the paper and read aloud:

"If you want to see your daughter again, bring five hundred gold pieces to the arena."

"It's signed Xin Fu and The Boulder," she told them.

"Master Yu, I need you to help me get my daughter back," Lao told Yu.

"We're coming with you," Katara said.

After Lao went into his home to get the required amount of money, Gohan started towards the arena with Katara, Sokka, Lao, and master Yu in tow.

It didn't take long for them to reach it. As soon as they arrived, Gohan could hear Toph yelling at her captors.

They climbed up the steps of the ring where they could see Aang and Toph in metal boxes suspended in the air by chains.

"Toph!" Lao called up to his daughter to let her know he was there.

"Here's your money," Sokka held up a sack of good coins. "Now let them go," he said while dropping the sack.

Master Yu slid it over to them with his Earthbending.

Xin Fu examined the bag before signaling for Toph to be let down and released. The blind girl immediately ran over to her father when she touched the ground.

Lao, Yu, and Toph started walking away.

"What about Aang?" Katara asked Xin Fu.

"I think the Fire Nation will pay a hefty price for the Avatar," Xin Fu said while holding up a wanted poster of Aang. "Now, get out of my ring," he demanded.

Gohan felt his anger rising. What was wrong with these people? Didn't they know that the fate of the world was at stake? Yet, they'd hand the Avatar over to the Fire Nation for some money?

The Earthbending performers from before all gathered around, trying to intimidate the three teens dressed in Waterbending clothes.

Where Sokka and Katara were put off by this, Gohan stared them all down.

"Go, I'll be ok," Aang told them to leave.

"No, I don't think so," Gohan said as he took a step forward.

"Ah, ah, ah. One more foot closer and signal for the Avatar to fall to a very painful death," Xin Fu threatened.

Gohan frowned before he reluctantly made his way down the steps with Katara and Sokka.

_'I will just keep a constant lock on his energy signature. And when they try and move him somewhere, we can ambush them,'_ he thought.

They stopped at the opening of the exit to the cave. Toph, Lao, and Yu were walking away.

"Toph, there's too many of them," Katara called after their retreating forms. "We need and Earthbender; we need you," she pleaded.

"My daughter is blind. She is blind and tiny and helpless and fragile. She cannot help you," Lao responded harshly.

Toph snatched her hand away from her father. "Yes. I can," she corrected him.

Katara smiled when she saw Toph running over to them. Now the three benders and Sokka ran back to the ring.

Master Yu and Lao started after them.

When they reached the ring, they saw Xin Fu and his goons walking from the ring. Toph blocked their path with her Earthbending.

"Let him go!" Toph demanded. "I beat you all before, and I'll do it again," she declared.

"The Boulder takes issue with that comment," Boulder said as Hippo tossed Aang, in the metal container, to the side.

Before the teens could make a move to help Aang, Toph held her hands out on either side of her, stopping them effectively as the Earthbending performers charged at them.

"They're mine," Toph told them, slightly shocking them.

Gohan planned on helping her, but if she could take them alone, then there was no need for him to help. However, he would step in if need be.

Toph used Earthbending to create a cloud of dust to obscure the performers vision before entering.

Gohan was unable to see what was happening, but he was able to track their energy signals. He was ready to step in anytime if she were to start losing.

Gohan walked over to the steel contraption containing Aang and tore it open with ease, releasing the Avatar.

Aang sprang out and started watching the fight with the others.

One by one, each member of Xin Fu's team was defeated until only the ring leader himself remained.

Gohan was impressed by Toph again. She proved to be a master Earthbender. Far better than what her father and Earthbender instructor thought she'd ever be.

Finally, Xin Fu was sent flying out into the stands in between Lao and Yu before falling limply down below onto his subordinates.

Sokka fainted from the amazing display of Earthbending while the other three ran over to Toph. Lao and Yu also made their way over.

"That was awesome!" Aang complimented her.

Toph stood there grinning.

"Yeah, you had us worried there for a moment but your moves were incredible," Katara added.

Toph's smile broadened.

"That was pretty impressive, Toph," Gohan told her. "Your contribution to the group could be exponential towards the defeat of the Fire Nation and the Fire Lord," he smiled even though she couldn't see it.

"Ahem," Lao cleared his throat as he walked over and grabbed his daughter's hand. "We will be leaving now," he said as they started leaving.

* * *

><p>At the Bei Fong estate, Gohan sat with his friends behind Toph as she stood in front of her parents. Who were in a seated position.<p>

The half-Saiyan had carried Sokka all the way back but didn't complain. It's not like anyone else could've done it sand kept up pace as he could.

Now it was time to see what Lao would say about Toph's secret after hour activities.

"Dad," Toph started. "I know it's hard for you to see me this way, but I love fighting. I love being an Earthbender. And I'm really, really good at it," she told her father. "I know I've kept my life secret from you, but you were keeping me secret from the whole world; you were doing it to protect me, but I'm twelve-years old, and I've never had a real friend," she said.

Gohan knew how Toph felt. He never had a real friend his age. Just battle comrades and Piccolo. Well, Dende was his friend too, but he couldn't spend time with him because of his guardian duties.

It wasn't until he was befriended by the two Water Tribe siblings that he had a friend.

"So now that you see who I really am, I hope that doesn't change how you think of me," Toph said.

"Of course it doesn't change how I feel about you, Toph." Lao told her. "It made me realize something…" he trailed off.

"It has?" Toph asked.

"Yes… that I've let you have far too much freedom. From now on, you'll be cared for and guarded twenty-four hours a day," Lao told her strictly.

"But, dad!" Toph protested.

"Your father is doing this for your own good, Toph," Poppy quickly added.

"Please escort the Avatar and his friends out," Lao said as he stood. "They are no longer welcome here," he said.

'Is he blaming us for Toph being a pro bender?' Gohan asked himself as he followed the others out of the room.

"I'm sorry, Toph," Aang softly told the Earthbender.

"I'm sorry, too, Aang," Toph replied, unmoving from her position.

Gohan didn't say a word. It was gloomy- at least it felt that way.

However, as Aang and Katara stood on a cliff looking out at the Bei Fong estate, he sat in Appa's saddle with Sokka; who was polishing 'his' champion belt, with a smile on his face as he felt Toph running over to them.

"Toph!" Aang noticed her second. "What are you doing here?" he asked as she stopped running next to Appa.

"My dad changed his mind. He said I was free to travel the world," Toph answered.

"Well, we better get out of here. Before your dad changes his mind again," Sokka said, smiling down at her.

"Good idea," Toph agreed, unmoving though.

"You're going to be a great teacher, Toph," Aang said kindly.

"Speaking of which, I want to show you something," Toph told him.

"Ok," Aang agreed as he jumped down from Appa's head. The second his get touched the ground, Toph knocked him into a tree that was next to Appa.

"Now we're even," Toph declared. "Um… I'll be taking the belt back," Toph said as she held her hand out towards Sokka.

Sokka begrudgingly tossed the belt down at her and it knocked her down. Aang fell from the tree not long after.

* * *

><p>Gohan dozed off even though he felt Azula getting closer. In fact, he fell asleep for several hours before waking up.<p>

They were still in the air, he realized upon waking up.

"How are you able to sleep while we're flying?" Sokka asked.

Gohan laughed sheepishly before yawning.

Aang was at Appa's head while everyone else was in the saddle doing their own thing.

"So, Toph, it's great for you to be apart of the group, he smiled at her.

"Thanks," said Toph, her face obscured by her bangs.

"Anyways, I'm sure you'd like to know more about us beside the fact that we're friends of the Avatar, right?" Gohan asked.

"Well, we already told her about ourselves," Katara said.

"Yeah, she already knows you're a spirit," Sokka said.

Gohan was quiet for a long time. He wanted to tell them that he wasn't a Spirit and that he didn't come here to help them when the war against the Fire Nation but he doubted that they would believe him.

"Good," he smiled.

* * *

><p>Admiral Zhao was growing impatient. Not only was he delayed in his goals, but also annoyed by how long it was taking the Fire Nation to check for traitors.<p>

All it took was a display of Firebending by the crew, a chorus of the Fire Nation National Anthem, and a reciting of one's servitude to the Ire Lord.

Really, it all could be done in a matter of minutes but it was taking far longer than what the Admiral would've liked.

He'd just have to wait because it seemed as if it would be taking a few extra days. The only thing keeping him from blowing his top was the possible reward in the end.

The Fire Nation Princess; Azula.

* * *

><p>It was getting late out and they have been flying for hours. The sun was setting and Appa was shedding. It was time to set up camp for the night.<p>

Gohan came over with firewood he got from a nearby tree while the others unpacked. Well, not Toph.

"Hey, you guys picked a great campsite, the grass is so soft," Toph complimented.

Gohan looked over at her and laughed a little. Toph was standing on a bunch of shredded fur from Appa.

"That's not grass, Appa's shedding," Sokka told her.

"Oh, gross." Katara complained.

This caused Gohan to laugh a little harder.

"It's not gross, it's just a part of spring, you know, rebirth, flowers blooming, and Appa gets a new coat," Aang told her.

"Ah, the beauty of spring," Katara remarked dryly.

"Yeah," Gohan agreed. "Spring is the best," he said, remembering how beautiful the area around his house was during this time of year.

As he finished saying that, Appa sneezed, sending fur flying in all directions.

"Stop. Appa, stop," Katara pleaded before trying to spit fur from her mouth.

"It's not that bad, Katara," Sokka said from a crouched position. By the looks of it, he seemed to be messing with his hair. "It makes a good wig," he said after standing and spinning around to face Katara. He had Appa's fur on his head.

"And a great beard," Aang agreed as he jumped from Appa to be next to Sokka.

Picking up on the fun, Gohan also made himself an Appa-fur disguise. He created an Afro and Mustache before sticking out a peace sign.

Katara was not amused.

The three boys all started laughing.

"I'm just glad we finally have another girl in the group," Katara started while dusting herself off. "Because you three are disgusting," she sighed.

The boys were still laughing when Toph came between them. "Excuse me, does anyone have a razor?" she asked, drawing blank looks from the others. "Because I've got some hairy pits," she said while lifting her arms to indicate the fur under her arms.

The four of them erupted into laughter. Aang sneezed and was sent back into Appa by the force of his own sneeze, causing them to laugh even harder.

Finally, Katara allowed herself to chuckle lightly.

Five minutes later, it was back to work unloading and getting ready.

Gohan volunteered to fetch some water. Of course, he finished before the others and came back to help pitch the tent with Aang.

He was so caught up in his chores that he completely ignored the 'Princess Feeling'. (Dubbed that by him).

"So Toph," he heard Katara star speaking and looked over at her. "Usually when setting up camp, we try to divide up the work…" she gestured towards the campsite.

"Hey, don't worry about me. I'm good to go," Toph replied nonchalantly.

"Well, actually, what I'm trying to say is, some of us might go fetch water while others might pitch a tent or build the fire pit," she said. "Even Momo helps out," she added as the flying lemur flew over and put some nuts in her hand.

"Katara, I'm fine; I can carry my own weight," Toph replied. "I don't need a fire, I already collected my own food, and look, my tent's all set up," she said while creating a tent with Earthbending.

"Well, while that's great for you, we-"

"I don't understand. What's the problem here?" Toph asked, irritated.

"Never mind," Katara said while walking off.

Toph slid into her tent.

Gohan sighed. He could tell those two weren't going to be the best of friends.

Gohan helped Sokka unpack the rest of the rest of the sleeping bags rather easily before setting up the fire pit.

In the time it took for this to be done, Katara had taken time to cool off a little while organizing everything.

Toph had already started munching on her food, whatever it was.

Now, Gohan was next to Sokka while Aang prepared to send the saddle down off of the still shedding Appa.

Once the Avatar sent it, Gohan caught it and gently placed it next to him. Once done, he heard Katara trying to speak to Toph again.

"Hey, Toph," Katara started. "I wanted to apologize for earlier," she said. "I think we were all just a little tired and getting on each other's nerves."

"Yeah, you do seem pretty tired," Toph shrugged.

"I meant all of us," Katara frowned at her.

"Well, goodnight," Toph said while getting comfortable to sleep.

"Goodnight," Katara huffed before walking off.

Gohan sighed before walking over to his own sleeping bag and getting comfortable in it. Ignoring the rising 'Princess Feeling'. He was too tired to notice it.

Toph was sleeping soundly in her tent with both palms on the ground. See, though she was blind, she was able to see things with Earthbending by feeling the vibrations in the earth.

Right now she was feeling something that was creating a lot of vibrations.

She sprang to her feet in alarm to alert the others. "Hey! There's something headed towards us!" She yelled.

Gohan groggily woke only to fill the full force of the 'Princess Feeling' hit him. He groaned as he got to his feet.

"What is it?" Aang asked from Appa's paw.

"It feels like an avalanche. But also not an avalanche," Toph answered.

"Your powers of perception are frightening," Sokka remarked, yawning.

"Should we leave?" Katara asked.

"Better safe than sorry," Aang answered.

In a blitz, the teens and pre teens gathered their belongings and boarded Appa before flying off.

From their vantage point in the sky, the gang only saw a thick cloud of smoke trailing them.

Gohan could see farther and better than the others and was able to make out a metal vehicle amidst the smoke. He groaned before lying limp on the saddle.

They flew for two and a half hours before finally landing.

Toph was the first to jump from Appa. She fell to the ground saying, "land, sweet, beautiful land."

Frowning, Katara asked, "can you help us unload?"

"Really?" Toph asked irritably. "You need me to help you unload Sokka's funky smelling sleeping bag?" she asked.

"Well yeah," Katara answered as she started towards Toph. "That and everything else," she said stopping next to Toph. "You're apart of our team now, w-"

"Look," Toph interrupted her by pointing at her. "I didn't ask you to help unload my stuff," she said. "I'm carrying my own weight."

"That's not the point," Katara replied with her hands on her hip. "Ever since you've joined us, you've been selfish and unhelpful," Katara said while storming up to Toph.

Gohan walked over as Toph began her retort.

"Look here, Sugar Queen, I gave up everything I ha-"

"Enough," Gohan interrupted her. "There is no need to argue amongst ourselves. That will only lead to turmoil and resentment inside our group," Gohan told them. "You both need to calm yourselves so that we-"

"I'm completely calm!" Katara yelled at him.

Gohan rose his hands defensively while backing away to the other boys.

"Nice try," Aang appraised him.

"Yeah, nice try," Sokka snickered.

Gohan sighed before grabbing his sleeping bag and crawling in.

When he was nice and comfortable, and everyone was settled, he heard Katara say:

"The stars sure are beautiful tonight. It's too bad you can't see them, Toph," Katara said pointedly at Toph.

Toph responded to that by moving the earth to knock Katara up and onto Sokka.

"Hey, how's a guy supposed to sleep with all this yelling and earth quaking?!" Sokka asked rhetorically.

"That thing is back!" Toph suddenly exclaimed, completely ignoring Sokka.

"Well, how far away is it? Maybe we can close our eyes for a few minutes," Sokka told her.

Gohan looked up and over in the direction he sensed the girls from Omashu. He sighed. They were closer than what they were last time.

"I don't think so, Sokka." Aang told the Water Tribe boy.

Again, like before, they blitzed to pack their stuff and flew off.

Gohan fell asleep with Sokka as soon as he got in the saddle, leaving the others to ponder on the strange vehicle following them and to make a plan to shake it off their trail.

More hours passed by before they stopped again. Appa didn't even wait for them to crawl out of his saddle before plopping down on his side, dumping the others and their belongings unceremoniously on the floor.

"Ok, forget about setting up camp. Sleep now," Sokka mumbled.

Gohan agreed but crawled away to ignore the bickering he assumed was going to start.

"That's good because Toph wasn't going to help anyway," Katara said irritably.

"Oh, I didn't realize baby still needed someone to tack her into bed," Toph replied.

"Come on guys, someone is after somebody don't even know what or who it is," Aang told them.

"It could be Zuko. We haven't seen since the North Pole," Katara suggested.

"Who's Zuko?" Toph asked.

"Oh, just some angry freak with a pony tail who has tracked us all over the world," Sokka answered from his comfy pile of rocks.

"What's wrong with ponytails, ponytail?" Katara asked humorously.

"This," Sokka started, pointing at the hair hanging off the back of his head. "Is a warrior's wolf-tail," he told her.

Gohan stood when he felt the girls from Omashu. 'Are they going faster?' he asked himself as he faced their direction.

Seeing this, Katara cut her next quip to Sokka short. "Oh no," she gasped at the sight of his hardened face.

"Don't tell me…" Sokka groaned.

"That's impossible," Aang denied it. "There is no way they could've tracked us," he said.

"I can feel it with my own two feet," Toph confirmed it as she stood.

Gohan walked over the edge of the mountain clearing they landed on to see the same metal vehicle on its way towards them.

Aang joined him.

"We should leave," Katara suggested worriedly.

"Maybe we should face them; find out what they want," Aang suggested. "Who knows, maybe they're friendly," he said, looking on the bright side.

Gohan frowned. He knew who it was, he wanted to know what they wanted though.

"Always the optimist," Sokka sighed.

A few moments later, a large train like vehicle could be made out. It had two compartments behind it's front vehicle.

The last one opened, revealing three figures clouded by steam. They were soon made out to be the three girls from Omashu.

Sokka, Aang, and Katara were shocked while Toph was clueless and Gohan was frowning.

Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai were riding Mongoose, Basilisk Lizards. Once their targets were in sight, they started towards them at a quick pace through a narrow path.

"It's those girls from Omashu," Katara said in alarm before they all except Gohan slipped into their stances.

"We can take 'em," Toph said confidently. "Three on four," she said.

"Actually, Toph, there are five of us," Sokka corrected her.

"Oh, I didn't count you. You know, no bending and all," she laughed weakly.

"I can still fight!" Sokka shouted at her.

"Ok, three on three plus Sokka," She replied smugly.

Sokka growled at her as she used her Earthbending to try and knock the girls off their rides.

It failed because the Lizards found away around the protruding earth.

"Ok, we wanted to find out who they were and now we know," Sokka said when he saw Toph's failed attempt. "Let's get out of here," he said while running towards Appa.

Gohan frowned deeper as Toph blocked the girls path with a huge stone wall. He wanted to ask what the girls wanted. He relented and followed the others to Appa none the less.

Once on, he looked back and saw an explosion that destroyed the wall blocking the girl's path.

Mai being the closest, three knives at Toph; who was still a short distance away from Appa.

The blind Earthbender responded by launching into the air and landing onto Appa.

"Appa, yip yip," Aang commanded and Appa flew off as two streams of Fire Bending skimmed past them.

"Awe, they flew off." Ty Lee whined.

Mai rolled her eyes.

"They are sleep deprived," Azula said cooly. "Soon they will be too tired to run or put up a fight," She smirked. "And they're leaving a trail for us to follow," she said.

* * *

><p>Gohan sat with his legs and arms crossed next to Sokka, the older boy was grumpily glaring in the direction the Fire Nation girls were in.<p>

"I can't believe those girls followed us all the way from Omashu," Katara said.

"I still think we could've taken 'em," Toph said grumpily.

"Are you kidding me?" Katara questioned Toph. "The crazy blue Firebending and the flying daggers are bad enough, but last time we saw them, one of those girls did something to take my bending away. That's scary," she said.

"Blue Firebending isn't crazy," Gohan mumbled as the sun started rising.

"Awe no, the sun is rising," Sokka pointed out. "We've been up all night with no sleep," he complained.

"Sokka we'll be alright," Aang said.

"But I've never not slept before," Sokka said frantically. "What if I fall asleep now and something happens?" he asked. "And something always happens!" he wailed.

"Every time we land, those girls are there. So we'll have to keep flying," Katara stated.

"We can't keep flying forever," Aang said.

* * *

><p>Gohan was in deep thought in a meditative like state, blocking out all sound of his friends. He could feel the Fire Nation girls following them. They followed their every movement, even if they changed direction.<p>

_'It has to be because of me_,' he thought. _'The Princess must be able to feel me the same why I can feel her,' _he deduced. '_But why? It can't be because we both bend blue fire. That would be stupid. No, it has to be something deeper than that.'_

_'Ok, I guess I'll start with what I know. We're both around the same age… we both bend blue fire… I get a strange feeling that grows stronger the closer she gets… on my birthday, it was blue fire that brought me here,'_ he mused.

_'That has got to be it! The blue fire must have been her! That means she brought me here! No, then why did she seem to not know who I am?_' he asked himself.

_'Maybe she was expecting someone else. Piccolo? No. Why would she want him? Vegeta? Maybe. He is a Prince after all; maybe she wants to marry him or something._'Bulma? Maybe._ Bulma is a genius. Perhaps she wanted Bulma to make things for the Fire Nation. But there's no way Bulma could've survived that heat_,' he sighed.

His thoughts were cut short when he suddenly felt light. Then he felt wind rushing in his face.

"Huh?" he questioned as he opened his eyes to see Katara reaching out for him. "What the…?" He looked down and saw that Appa was falling from the sky.

Reaching down, he tried to grasp Katara's hand, only succeeding in being blown away.

"GOHAN!" Katara and Sokka cried out.

Gohan was starting to panic. The distance between himself and the Bison was more than thirty meters.

"NIMBUS!" He shouted, suddenly remembering the yellow, magical cloud.

Moments passed and he saw that Appa somehow managed to avoid going splat and crash landed some distance away.

He grunted when he saw that his cloud wasn't coming yet and that the ground was rushing up at him at an alarming rate.

He flailed his arms around in a futile attempt to slow his descent.

Time seemed to slow down as he reached less than five hundred feet from the ground.

_'Crap!' _

* * *

><p>Katara, Sokka, and Aang watched with horror as their friend plummeted to the ground. Panic washed over their features as he began getting closer and closer.<p>

"Come on, Appa!" Katara cried as she ran up to the bison. "We have to go save Gohan!" she yelled.

Sokka and Aang looked on hopefully to see if a miracle would happen and save their friend.

_'Oh no,'_ Sokka thought.

* * *

><p>Not too far away, riding on an ostrich horse, was the banished Prince of the Fire Nation. Zuko was following the trail of his sister.<p>

He had his hardened gaze locked on the trail in front of him.

That was… until a fast, yellow cloud zoomed past him at a speed he barely caught a glimpse of.

Nevertheless, it startled him. He pulled on the reigns of his animal as he stared at the long tendril left behind by the cloud.

'What in the name of Agni?' he questioned in shock.

* * *

><p>On a blazing trail of destruction through a field of flowers, was the Fire Nation's Train-Tank Train chugged through the field at fast speeds.<p>

In the cockpit, Azula sat in a throne, looking out the windshield at the falling fur from the sky bison. She had a stoic look on her face.

But, she had an odd, foreign feeling growing within her. She tried ignoring it, but this was different from the normal feeling she could ignore.

It was then that she saw a yellow cloud zip past her at amazing speeds. Everyone in the cockpit gaped. Not even she could could keep herself composed at the sight. It was then that she saw a speck falling in the distance. But she didn't who it was. She hoped it was the Avatar.

* * *

><p>Gohan couldn't help but close his eyes. He knew the impact wouldn't kill him, but he knew it would definitely hurt.<p>

His friends also closed their eyes. They didn't want to see him go splat.

…

Nothing happened.

They expected their to be an impact or a final cry for help, but no sound met their ears.

Instead, when those who could see opened their eyes, they gasped when they saw Gohan sitting on the Nimbus Cloud.

Gohan rolled off the cloud as he tried to slow his racing heart.

When Toph felt Gohan on the ground, she was confused. She could've sworn he was going to be paste.

"Thanks, Nimbus," Gohan panted. "That was a close one," he breathed out.

Sokka stopped next to him. "Yeah, buddy, that magic cloud of yours sure is a… live saver," Sokka laughed weakly.

"I'm fine," Gohan waved Katara's concern off as he stood and walked over to grab his sleeping bag before using it as a pillow to sleep.

"Right behind ya', buddy." Sokka followed Gohan's lead. "Now it's time to go to sleep," he yawned.

"Of course, we could've gotten some sleep earlier if Toph didn't have such issues," Katara quipped.

The blind girl was lying on the floor when she heard that.

"What!" She screeched as she got up, crushing the ground in the process.

"Alright, alright. Everyone's exhausted. Let's just get some rest," Aang tried to play mediator.

"No! I want to hear what Katara has to say," Toph said firmly, facing Katara. "You think I have issues?" S

she asked the 'Sugar Queen'

"I'm just saying. Maybe if you had helped out earlier, we could've set up camp faster and gotten some sleep. And maybe we wouldn't be in this situation!" Katara yelled at her.

"You're blaming me for this?" Toph yelled back as she started towards the older girl.

Katara did the 'Bring it On' gesture with both hands even though Toph couldn't see.

"No! She's not blaming you!" Aang said as he stepped between the two girls.

"Oh, I'm blaming her," Katara said over Aang.

"Hey!" Toph shouted as she tossed Aang aside, getting into Katara's face. "I never asked you for diddly do dot!" She said. "I carry my own weight! Besides, if there is anyone to blame, it's sheddy over here!" She accused

Gohan's ears perked at this. Appa's fault? It couldn't have been. It was his fault though, right? Then again, maybe this feeling he felt from the Fire Nation Princess was a one way thing.

"What? You're blaming Appa?" Aang asked angrily. He didn't take anything against his best buddy lightly.

"You want to know how they keep finding us?" Toph asked rhetorically as she pulled some fur from Appa. "He's leaving a trail everywhere we go!" She yelled.

"How dare you blame Appa?" Aang yelled back as he slid down from Appa's tail. "He saved your life three times today. If there's anyone to blame, it's you!" He shouted while pointing at her. "You're always talking about carrying your own weight, but you're not. He is; Appa's carrying it. He's never had a problem when it was just the four of us!" He exclaimed.

Toph simply turned and started away, knocking her bag into her hand at the same time. "I'm outta here," she said, storming away.

"Wait!" Sokka blocked her path. She simply moved the earth under him so he wasn't in her way.

Gohan placed a hand on Toph's shoulder. "Wait, it might be not your's or Appa's fault," he told her softly.

She shrugged off his hand and stormed away.

Gohan sighed.

When Toph was good and gone, Aang cried to the heavens, "What did I just do?" He asked. "I can't believe I just yelled at my Earthbending teacher," he sighed as he dropped to his knees. "Now she's gone," he hung his head.

"I know. We're all trying to get used to each other." Katara said. "And I was so mean to her," she sighed.

"Yeah, you two were pretty much jerks," Sokka commented.

"Yeah, I doubt Nimbus will let you ride him now," Gohan added.

"Thanks," Katara sarcastically replied.

"Your welcome," Sokka said.

"We need to go get Toph and apologize," Katara said, helping Aang to his feet.

"Ok, but what are we going to do about the tank full of dangerous ladies chasing us?" Sokka asked.

Aang, who had a plan, stood and explained that they would wash Appa off, which would get rid of the excess hair that fell off of him while they flew.

It was simply done. It took no longer than twenty minutes to accomplish. And when they finally finished, Appa looked good as new.

"Toph was right, Appa's fur was leading a trail right to us," Aang said. "But now that he's clean, no more trail."

"Are you sure he's ok to fly?" Katara asked.

"He'll be fine as long as we keep his saddle and all of our belongings here," Aang answered.

"Ok, but what are we going to do about the tank full of dangerous ladies chasing us?" Sokka asked..

"I'll create a fake trail with Appa's fur," Aang said. "And you guys can take Appa that way." Aang pointed past some trees.

"I'll go with you," Gohan volunteered.

"Then it's settled," Aang said as he started gathering fur inside of a bag.

When Katara and Sokka left on Appa, the bison flew and clipped the top of three trees.

Gohan jumped onto Nimbus and he followed Aang. The Avatar was flying at a slow pace, slower than what Nimbus could fly.

When they finally reached the point where Aang could no longer leave a trail, they had landed in an old, abandoned town.

"Ready?" Gohan asked as Nimbus flew off.

"Ready," Aang answered.

* * *

><p>The second born of Ozai stood near a river with two clumps of bison fur in her hands. Mai and Ty Lee stood at the bank of the river staring down at the fur.<p>

'They must have figured out how we were tracking them,' Azula thought as she looked east of her position. 'Nevertheless… I still know which way he is.'

She saw a trail of fur leading in the same direction.

"The trail leads this way," Mai said, pointing ahead.

Azula stood before turning in the opposite direction. She saw that the tops of a few trees were snapped, pointing away like something forced it's way past them.

"They are trying to give us the slip," Azula told the other girls. "You two head in that direction and keep an eye out for the bison." She pointed behind her at the broken trees. "I'll follow this trail."

* * *

><p>As the time raced by, Gohan kept himself occupied by doing various different exercises. He did push-ups, sit-ups, flips, stretching, etc.. Anything to pass the time.<p>

A few hours passed and the sun was setting when Gohan noticed that two people were within a mile of his and Aang's location. And he recognized both of them.

Zuko was one, and the Fire Nation Princess was the other. The latter traveling at a speed that would get her there sooner than Zuko.

"They're here, Aang," Gohan announced as he faced the road entrance into the town, Power Pole in hand.

Aang stood with his staff in hand as the silhouette of a person on an animal came into view.

She rode to a stop a few meters away from the Avatar and half-Saiyan.

She climbed off of her lizard and walked a few feet in front of it. The lizard went away, waiting to summoned at any time.

"Alright, you caught up to us," Aang started. "Who are you and what do you want?" he asked, pointing his staff at her.

"You mean you haven't guessed?" Azula asked rhetorically. "You don't see the family resemblance?" she asked. "Here's a hint," she started while covering her left eye with her right hand. "I must find the Avatar to restore my honor," she said, doing an imitation of Zuko.

The two boys looked on blankly at her attempt of humor.

"It's ok, you can laugh. It's funny," she said.

"So, what now?" Aang asked her.

"Now? Now it's over. You're tired and you have no place to go," she said as if it were fact. "You can run, but I'll catch you."

"We're not running," Aang replied.

Gohan said not a word as he mentally prepped for battle. In fact, he could end it now. One burst of speed would surely catch her off guard, rendering her helpless against a barrage of attacks he could deal her.

But… he didn't want to do that. He didn't want to harm her, yet, he would if he had to.

Gohan stepped forward.

Azula looked him over, eyeing his form carefully. It was one she never saw before.

"And your name is…?" she asked.

"Gohan. Son Gohan," Gohan answered flatly. "And yours?" he asked.

"Azula," she answered with a calculated smile.

"And I'm Aang," Aang said.

Neither paid him any mind as they stared each other down.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Azula asked, "do you really want to fight me?" It was more towards Gohan than Aang.

Before either could answer, just as the last word left her mouth, a person riding an ostrich horse bursted out of an ally. The person jumped from the horse to the ground with a straw, wide-brimmed hat obscuring their face.

Standing, the person took off his hat, revealing Zuko's face. "Yes, I really do," he answered Azula's question.

"Zuko," Aang gasped while Gohan's eyes narrowed.

"I was wondering when you'd show up, Zuzu," Azula remarked idly.

Aang snickered at the nickname.

"Back off, Azula. They're mine," he told her as he dropped into a stance.

"I'm not going anywhere," Azula replied, dropping into her own stance.

Gohan and Aang dropped into their own stances. Gohan's Power Pole in hand.

"Aang, you take Zuko and I'll get Azula," Gohan whispered to the Avatar.

He saw Aang nod out of the corner of his eye as he looked between Azula and Zuko.

It was Azula that made the first move on Zuko. She sent a stream of fire at him, forcing him to defend with his own Firebending. But it wasn't enough, he was knocked back into a building's patio.

Gohan sent a stream at Azula with his left ham, distracting her and allowing Aang to force the now standing Zuko into an alley with Airbending.

Azula dispersed the flames sent at her before shooting several flames back at him. Gohan easily dodged both.

"You seem to be a decent bender," Azula said. "Why do you side yourself with the Avatar and be against your homeland?" she inquired, even though she had a feeling why.

"Because," Gohan started, relaxing his stance. "It's the right thing to do, It's the thing my father would do, and I don't want to see a force like the Fire Nation walk all over people with less power," he answered. "And I'm not from the Fire Nation. The only thing that can tie me to that nation is my bending ability," he told her.

"About that. I'm curious to know how you've managed to bend blue fire. Amongst the Fire Nation, I was the first in thousands of years to produce blue flames," she told him.

"Actually, I don't know why my fire is blue," he answered. "I thought that maybe it signified my good heart. But after seeing you, I'm not sure if that's correct."

Azula frowned at him but couldn't help but smile afterwards. "Well, if you join the Fire Nation, perhaps you can find the answer there," she said.

Before Gohan could answer, Aang, who had followed Zuko into the alley, was chased out of the same alley by an angry Zuko.

Gohan saw that Zuko had fire daggers in his hands and used the Power Pole to trip Zuko by extending the pole.

Aang turned at that moment and blasted Zuko with a powerful gust of wind that sent Zuko into a wall.

They seemed to switch opponents because Azula chased after Aang and Zuko charged at Gohan after he recovered.

"I won't lose to you," Zuko declared.

"Sorry to disappoint," Gohan replied.

Zuko then swung his arms in wide circular motions. He then swung both hands forward, jetting a large stream of fire at Gohan.

Gohan used a Fire Blade that cut through Zuko's attack. He then swiftly kicked a stream of fire at Zuko.

The attacks both sent at each other brought them in close proximity of the other. Close enough to engage in hand to hand combat.

Zuko moved to knock Gohan's feet from under him, but Gohan brought his pole down and blocked Zuko's leg.

He then hit Zuko with it across the face, dazing the banished Prince, before he ran over to where he felt Azula and Aang.

Knowing that Azula was on a different skill level than Aang, he decided to go help the Avatar out.

He ran into the building he felt Aang and Azula, only to be forced out by Azula when she created a flame on her right hand before thrusting it down at a space Aang occupied before he jumped away. That's when Gohan rushed in.

The half-Saiyan looked up from his position on the ground and saw Zuko running at him with fire daggers.

However, before he was struck, a stream of blue fire hit Zuko in the chest, sending him back.

Gohan looked over and saw Azula with a glare on her face. 'She… saved me?' Gohan asked himself as he jumped to his feet.

However, he soon retracted that question when he saw her attack him with the same move she used on Zuko. Only, she had a smirk on her face.

He ducked and rolled out of the way when Zuko fired a stream from his feet from the ground.

That was when Katara and Sokka arrived on scene behind Katara. Aang joined them soon after.

Gohan was a couple yards beside her while the other three stood in front of her in a half circle, seven feet apart from each other.

Azula still attacked. She sent a few streams of fire at the team, gradually being forced back as she did so.

Suddenly, the earth beneath her shifted, making her lose her footing and stumble.

Toph revealed herself to be behind the movement when she appeared behind Azula.

"I though you guys could use a little help," the blind girl said.

"Thanks," Katara replied.

Azula looked amongst her. She was surrounded. The enemy out numbered her and her chances of winning were dwindling.

She decided that it would be better to escape than try to fight them. She punched a few streams of fire as a distraction before turning on heel and dashing down an ally.

She exited the alley on a different street and looked back to make sure they weren't following her. She failed to notice Iroh until he used his guy to knock her back several feet. This allowed the others to catch up again.

They backed Azula into a corner where they stood in their stances, hopefully making her choose to give up.

"Well, look at this," Azula started after she looked around at those gathered around her. "Enemies and traitors. All working together," she said with a frown. "I'm done." Her arms rose. "I know when I'm beaten. You got me. A Princess surrenders with honor."

Gohan watched her eyes move across each of them before she swiftly, surprisingly, sent a stream of fire at Iroh, catching the old man off guard and shocking the others.

Iroh cried out in pain as he fell to the ground, unconscious and in pain.

While the others all attacked Azula simultaneously, Gohan watched as she created a shield of fire, making all of the attacks explode on contact, sending smoke up, obscuring their view of the Princess.

When the smoke cleared, Azula was nowhere to be seen and Zuko was next to the fallen Iroh, frustratedly kneading his forehead with his palms.

The five team members made their way over to Iroh.

"Get away from us," Zuko cried, swinging his arm at them when he noticed them approaching.

"Zuko, I can help," Katara tried to explain.

"Leave!" he shouted as he sent a line of fire oboe their heads.

The five then all took off to where Sokka and Katara left Appa. Gohan sighed when he felt Azula fleeing the area. He could go and catch her with the Nimbus cloud, but sleep seemed more appealing.

He lied awake with one thing on his mind. More like, one person on his mind. Azula. He saw something in her eyes when she shot Zuko (stopping him from attacking Gohan) that he didn't see in them any other time.

He could see that she was very angry at that moment. But not only that. He also saw that it was the look a person had when trying to protect something.

Now, all he had to figure out is why she was trying to protect him because he was sure it wasn't for love. No. It must've been something else. And that is what he was trying to figure out; why did Princess Azula protect him?

These thoughts were the last Gohan had before he fell asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay! There you all have it. I hope you all enjoyed it. <strong>

**Know that I would've posted this chapter yesterday, but I decided to rewrite those last few scenes. If you'd like to know what I had originally had, PM me and I'll let you know.**

**Anyways, I have a poll up on my profile so just go check that out.**


	13. Chapter 13: The Library in the Desert

**ATLA chapter thirteen**

* * *

><p>They Gang flew for hours until they landed in a canyon. Gohan felt bad for not helping Iroh by forcing his way past Zuko and giving him a Senzu bean. He felt like that was something his father would do. But forcing someone to eat seemed more like something Piccolo would do.<p>

He looked to the sky as if he could see Goku and ask for guidance in the struggle. It was a struggle because he really wanted his powers back and didn't want to wait any longer for them. With his true strength, he could wipe out the entire Fire Nation with his pinky. He'd be able to save so many more lives instead of being just a small step in the Avatar's rise to defeat the Fire Lord.

It's not that he wanted to have a huge role and be absorbed in the spotlight. No, he was just thinking about other people from around the world, dying because the Fire Nation's cause.

Earth Kingdom soldiers, Water Tribe warriors, even Fire Nation troops were being killed everyday because of the war. To him, it was just stupid.

'Not every world could be at peace,' he me ally sighed when they finished unpacking everything and got ready to sleep.

He found himself lying between Sokka and Katara on his left, and Aang and Toph on his right. He stared up at the sky as he began to fade into sleep.

"Goodnight, guys," he yawned.

"Goodnight, spirit guy," Sokka replied, followed by a 'goodnight' from the other three.

That another thing he didn't like. He wasn't a spirit. He'd just have to tell them who he really was in the morning.

* * *

><p>Gohan woke up first and made his way away from the others so he could have some privacy. He had to go pee somewhere.<p>

With his body fully rested, Gohan had time to think about what he should tell his friends. He would tell them everything from his alien heritage to his arrival in this world.

After his little trip to potty, he made his way back to camp. When he arrived, he saw that everyone was up. Though, Sokka was still in his sleeping bag.

"Guys," he grabbed their attention.

"Oh, I wondered where you were," Katara said.

"I have something to tell you all," Gohan said slowly.

"What is it?" Aang asked.

"You guys all call me a Spirit sent here to help end the war against the Fire Nation. But I'm not. I'm not a Spirit and I wasn't sent here to help end the war," he told them, shocking them. "The truth is, I don't know why I was brought here. I have no idea why I'm here," he said. "But I do know that while I'm here, I will help," he said.

…

"You're not a Spirit?!" Sokka shouted, fully waking up fully.

"No… and I suggest sitting down because I'm about to tell you my story. And it is long." He sat down, crossing his legs.

It took a moment for his shell-shocked friends to comply. They were now seated in a half circle in front of him.

"You see… my name is Son Gohan, and I'm from an alternate earth," he started. "A different earth in a different universe," he explained at their confused faces. "See, now to understand my story, you must first understand what I am," he said.

"If you're not a spirit, are you human?" Sokka asked.

"I'm only half human, my other half is Saiyan. A Saiyan is a member of a race of warriors that were known across the entire galaxy for their power…"

Gohan began explaining everything he knew from Vegeta about the Saiyans and then everything from then on. He didn't miss a single thing. He told them everything from Raditz to the day he arrived; his birthday.

"… and that's pretty much it," he sighed.

He looked to them to see what their reactions would be. He expected them to be disbelieving or skeptical. But he was relieved to see only shock and understanding.

"Wow." Katara was the first to regain her voice, wiping away a tear that had shed.

"Look, this changes nothing. I'm still here to help fight the Fire Nation," Gohan said. "In the mean time, I'm gonna go meditate somewhere. I'll be back later," he said, standing and walking away.

The Gaang was left with questions when he began walking away.

"He was telling the truth," Toph said when he escaped hearing range.

"It's horrible," Katara said.

"He seemed sad," Aang said. "You think we should follow him," he asked.

"Yeah," Sokka said, still shocked at the recent discover that his friend was an alien. An alien from a different universe. That's two times the alien!

The four started jogging after Gohan. He couldn't have gotten far. He had walked down the canyon. He should be right around the bend…

But when they arrived, all they saw was the Nimbus cloud jetting away.

"It's too late, he'd gone," Sokka said.

"I feel bad," Katara sighed. "We've all been mistaking him to this great Spirit when he's just like the rest of us," she said.

* * *

><p>Gohan flew aimlessly with Nimbus with his legs dangling over the front of the cloud. He just couldn't help but feel down in the dumps.<p>

He didn't even feel like going through the whole 'Why me' thing again. Now he was just angry.

Angry at the situation in a whole and even angrier at the loss of his power. He had taken his powers granted in the years that followed after the Cell Games. He wondered if this is what happens when one doesn't keep a promise.

Like the one he made to Goku to keep up his training so he could protect the earth.

"Hey, slow down, Nimbus," he said, sitting cross-legged on the cloud.

He decided that it would be best to meditate on the situation like he normally did when he started over thinking it.

His eyes were closed for what seemed like a few seconds. But when he opened them, it was the dead of night. He guessed somewhere around one in the morning.

He was still on the Nimbus cloud, but way far from his friends. In fact, he was closer to Azula than he was to them.

He let his mind wander, thinking about the girls from the day prior.

Ty Lee, the acrobat, was so care free and easy going. To her, this war was probably seen justified in the Fire Nation. That's probably why she was ok with what was happening.

Mai on the other hand, did not seem to care about the war - or anyone for that matter. In fact, she looked like she would die of boredom at any second.

And lastly, Azula. She looked so fierce and determined, yet, calm and collected at the same time. Even while fighting she had all of these qualities. Gohan noticed that she had a sort of softness in her eyes while talking to him. Almost like she didn't see him as an enemy. But they would return to their normal state when not on him.

He found that very weird, and it now confused him to no end. He sighed as he steered Nimbus back around, back to the campsite.

When he arrived, he saw that everyone was asleep. He hopped off Nimbus and started towards his sleeping bag. He climbed in and soon fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Two and a half weeks passed by after that day. Gohan's had tons of time to think stuff through. He came to terms with being stuck here. He could only come to the conclusion that it wasn't coincidence that he was brought here. But the 'why' was still a mystery.<p>

They were currently at a lake near a cavern. An ideal area for Aang to learn both Earthbending and Waterbending.

Gohan sat next to Appa, watching Toph instruct Aang on how to properly do some Earthbending moves. They've been following a pretty tight schedule for the past few days, constantly avoiding the nearby Fire Nation scouts.

He looked over at the lake when he heard splashing. He saw Katara perfecting her Waterbending form.

All this training had Gohan thinking of his own training he'd do early in the morning and later in afternoon. He changed Jeong Jeong's training schedule into something he knew would work better for him.

In the morning, he'd do a thousand push-ups; vertical, one handed, and normal. After those, he'd go onto do sit-ups; normal or off a tree branch he'd find. Then, he would Katas. Finishing it all, he'd meditate for an hour. And all that was normally before the others could wake up or in privacy. Not to mention his afternoon training.

The only person that barely did any form of exercising was Sokka. The non-bender of the group would sometimes go and do a few chin-ups on a tree branch. But that was rare.

Gohan looked over to his best friend. Sokka was currently doing his thing, plotting and reading maps.

"Hey, Sokka," Gohan called over to the older boy.

Sokka looked over at him.

"Wanna join me in my workout later?" Gohan asked.

"Sure," Sokka agreed after a moment. "I don't see why not," Sokka said.

"Great," Gohan said.

* * *

><p>Later that day, Sokka was very much regretting his decision. He was currently on his thirtieth vertical push-up while Gohan was already done.<p>

The half-Saiyan decided to set the limit at forty for each exercise. He had already completed all the exercises.

He was now giving Sokka advice and cheering the older boy on.

"Come on, Sokka, you can do it. You're almost done," Gohan said.

"You're insane if you do this everyday," Sokka complained as he finished his final vertical.

"How do you think I got to where I am now," Gohan asked.

"Point taken," Sokka said.

"I guess we should start you off with a light workout so you're not worn out if a threat happens," Gohan mused aloud.

"I thought you said this was light," Sokka gasped.

"It is. I meant lighter than this." Gohan put a thoughtful look on.

"Alright, I'll be back at the camp." Sokka pointed at the campsite.

"Ok," Gohan said, continuing on to finish his workout.

He stated up longer than usual and ended up paying for that by sleeping longer than usual.

* * *

><p>The next day, he was briefly awoken by his friends, telling him to get into the saddle so they could fly off.<p>

There, apparently, plans were made by Toph, Katara, and Aang that they would each get to have a mini vacation of their choosing. Of course Gohan didn't hear because he was sleeping.

Aang's mini-vacation led them to a place Aang visited a hundred years prior. It was some place he could play his flute and harmonize with moles.

Sokka had argued that they shouldn't be wasting time at these places because they had no time to lose. Katara, Toph, and Aang argued back that Aang trained hard so it was ok for them to take little vacations.

Sokka reluctantly agreed after they planned to get a more up to date map after the vacations.

That was earlier in the day. Now, they were at the Misty Palms Oasis. Or at least that was the name of the place that was more of a tavern with a giant chunk of ice in the front of it than a pristine oasis.

Gohan tied his bag of Senzu's to his belt before strapping his Power Pole to his back and hopping off of Appa. He did a few stretches before being joined by his companions on the ground.

They started towards the entrance of the establishment but stopped to take a long look at it.

"Maybe the custodians… quit?" Aang suggested weakly, laughing as he did so, referring to the unkept condition of the tourist attraction.

They walked past four Sandbenders that were leaned against the outside wall of the building, near the entrance. One of them spit in front of Gohan and Sokka on the way in, but both continued like it wasn't a matter, only serving to upset the man.

On the inside, they immediate saw a traveller ordering a drink at the bar. The bartender immediately cut up a mango with two twin swords that were sheathed on his back.

Impressed with what he saw, Sokka said, "I don't see anything wrong with getting one of those fruity beverages while we plan our strategy."

The oldest of the group then walked over to the bar, his four companions following behind.

The man that ordered before them turned to walk away with his refreshment, but bumped into Aang, spilling the contents of his ice cup all over the Avatar.

The man looked like he was about to Apologize, but Aang smiled and said, "no worries. I clean up fine." He then cleaned himself off with a quick. weak air current.

"You're a living relic," the man gasped.

Aang grinned and shrugged.

"A living Air Nomad in my presence." The man looked thoughtful. "Professor Zei." Zei bowed to Aang. "Head of anthropology at Ba Sing Se."

Gohan collected his beverage and started sipping on it as he looked over his shoulder, back at the entrance.

The man from earlier was glaring at him. Gohan shrugged before turning away. He wasn't the kind of person to get worked up over mean looks.

"Professor," Sokka started, holding Aang's cup. "You're obviously a well travelled guy. Do you happen to have a more current map? Our's is old."

The Professor looked to Sokka with a friendly smile. "Certainly." He gestured for Sokka to come to a vacant table.

Sokka hurriedly gave Aang both cups he was holding before taking Zei's map and laying it out over the table.

Gohan, Sokka, Aang, and Katara studied it while Toph sat and sipped on her cold one.

"Where's the Fire Nation?" Gohan asked when he saw that it was just a map of the Earth Kingdom.

"Ugh, doesn't anyone have a map of that place?" Sokka groaned, dropping his arms.

"You've made a lot trips into the desert," Katara observed, speaking to Zei.

"All for naught," Zei sighed. "I've found lost civilizations all over the Earth Kingdom. But I haven't found the crowned jewel; Wan Shi Tong's Library."

"You've traveled in the desert for years, to find some guy's library?" Toph asked.

"Oh, but this library is more valuable than gold, little lady," Zei told her. "It's rumored to have an expanse collection of knowledge… it's priceless."

"Sounds amazing," Toph said dully.

"It is," Zei agreed. "According to legend, it was created by the great Knowledge Spirit, Wan Shi Tong, with the help of his fox knowledge seekers. See, Wan Shi Tong and his knowledge seekers collected books from all over the world, and put them in his library, on display for us to read, for the improvement mankind," Zei explained.

"This library, do you think they have information about the Fire Nation?"Sokka asked. "A map, maybe?"

"I wouldn't know," Zei admitted. "But if one would exist, I'm willing to bet that it's in the library," Zei pointed at the map.

"Hmm…" Sokka looked thoughtful. "Then it's settled. Aang, I do believe it's my turn to chose a vacation and I'd like to spend it at this library," he said.

"Don't you mean, looking for this library?" Gohan asked.

"And what about us?" Toph asked Sokka, pointed to herself and Gohan. "When do we get to chose a vacation?" she asked.

"Actually, Toph." Gohan cut off Sokka. "I have to agree with Sokka; I want to check out this library, too," he told her.

"Besides, you'll need to work here longer to qualify for vacation time," Sokka told her slyly.

"But there's still the problem finding it, like you said," Zei told Gohan. "I've made several trips into the desert, and came close to death each time. I'm afraid that desert is impossible," Zei sighed.

The youngsters all looked amongst each other before looking back to Zei with knowing smiles.

"Professor, would you like to see our sky bison?" Sokka asked.

"A sky bison? You have one?" Zei asked.

Nodding, the five led Zei out of the tavern and to where they left Appa.

When they came within sight of Appa, they were surprised to see the Sandbenders from earlier all around Appa.

"Sandbenders!" Zei exclaimed. "Shoo, get away from the bison!" he yelled, running up to them, the kids soon behind.

The Sandbenders sneered in disgust before retreating.

"I don't trust them," Gohan said.

"Let's just hope not to run into them again," Katara said.

"Yeah," Sokka agreed as Aang inspected Appa for anything out of the normal.

They were soon sailing through the air, nothing different about it if the fact the Zei was joyfully yelling in excitement was not included.

They flew for over half an hour before the complaining started. The heat was getting to them.

"Gohan, can't you sense out anything out here?" Katara asked.

Gohan looked thoughtful. "I'll give it a try," he said, extending his sensing.

His friends looked to him expectantly while, waiting for his reply. He then looked off Northeast of them.

"There's a weird energy signature over there," he said, pointing in the direction he sensed something.

Aang nodded in understanding before Zei started asking Gohan dozens of questions.

Sokka sat at the front of the saddle, keeping his eyes open for anything.

A few more minutes of flying went by before Sokka saw something sticking out of the ground.

Landing, they hopped off Appa before scrutinizing the object.

"This isn't the building," Katara said, looking back to a picture of the building Zei had given them.

"No, there's something under the ground," Gohan said, looking over her shoulder at the map. "And look here." He pointed at the tip of drawing before pointing at the structure. "It's the top of the library." He smiled.

"But it's buried," Sokka said.

"No, but there's several beings inside there," Gohan said, looking to Toph. "Do you think you can pull it out Toph?" he asked the blind girl.

Toph wordlessly walked over and placed her hand on the stone wall of the structure.

"It's difficult working with sand. And this thing is way too big. But the inside is entirely intact," she said, looking back in Gohan's direction.

"That's good. I guess we could get in through that window up there," Gohan said, looking up at the tip.

"Yeah, and I guess I'll stay out here," Toph said, crossing her arms.

"Why so?" Katara asked. "You don't like libraries?"

Toph waved her right hand in front of her face, showing Katara that she couldn't see.

"Oh, right." Katara sheepishly looked away.

"But let me know if there's something in there I can listen to," Toph said.

"What, you don't know how to read braille?" Gohan asked.

"I can't see," Toph told him as Sokka went to Appa to retrieve the quality rope he got from Zuko back at the Northern Water Tribe.

"I know," Gohan replied, looking curious. "And now I know there's no braille here," he said. "It's a written language that is in the form of characters in raised patterns of dots that is felt by the finger tips instead of looking at it with your eyes," he explained.

"Fascinating," Zei complimented. "And how do you know of this?" he asked.

"It's something my mom made me learn in case I went blind," Gohan answered. "I'd be happy to teach you, Toph," he said.

"What would the point of that be if there are no braille books?" Toph asked as Sokka returned with the rope and created a hook with his boomerang.

"Well, maybe when all of this is over, maybe I could write down the language and have it made," he told her, smiling even though she couldn't see it.

Sokka threw his boomerang with the rope attached to it on the ledge of the windowsill.

"Just, get going," she grumbled turning away to hide her own smile.

Gohan then made his way up the rope after Katara. Once he reached the top, Sokka took the rope and flipped it to the inside of the building, creating a way down.

Zei went first, then Aang, Sokka, Katara, and Gohan.

Zei admired the design of the interior, mentioning something about buttresses that made the boys laugh. Touching down, Zei continued his observation of the design.

They heard the sound of shuffling behind them and rushed to hide behind two pillars at the end of the walk way they were on.

Gohan felt the weird energy signature standing where they once stood.

"I know you're in here," Wan Shi Tong suddenly spoke, startling them when he saw Gohan's hair sticking out.

Smiling, Zei came out of hiding. "Hello, great Knowledge Spirit, I'm Professor Zei, head of Anthropology at Ba Sing Se University."

"I advise you to leave… unless you want to become the stuffed head of anthropology," Wan Shi Tong spoke dryly.

"Are you Wan Shi Tong, the spirit that owns this library?" Sokka asked, walking out of cover with the others.

"I am he who knows ten-thousand things; Wan Shi Tong. And you are humans. Your kind is not welcome here," Wan Shi Tong told them.

"Why?" Gohan asked.

"Humans only bother learning things so they could get the edge on other humans. Like, that Firebender that came here a few years ago looking to destroy his enemy," the Spirit of Knowledge answered. "Who are you trying to destroy?" he asked Sokka, moving close.

"No, no. No destroying, we're not into that stuff," Sokka said, waving his hands in front of him.

"Then what brings you here?" Wan Shi Tong asked.

"Knowledge for Knowledge's sake?" Sokka answered sheepishly.

"If you're going to lie to an all knowing Spirit being, you should at least put some effort into it." the spirit moved back.

"What, I'm not lying…" Sokka grabbed Aang. "Here's the Avatar, the bridge between our world; he'll vouch for me." He put Aang in front of him.

"Yeah, we'll not abuse the knowledge in your library, great Spirit," Aang told Wan Shi Tong. "You have my word." He bowed, copied by the others.

"Very well," Wan Shi Tong said after some consideration. "I'll grant you access to my vast collection of knowledge on one condition," he said, startling them. "You must contribute some worth while knowledge," he said.

Zei immediately walked forward and gave Wan Shi Tong a book from his traveling book. Katara offered over an authentic Waterbending scroll, Aang gave a Fire Nation wanted poster of himself over. Sokka created a knot that was reluctantly accepted by Wan Shi Tong.

All eyes then turned to Gohan.

"I- uh, oh! I know what I have," he said, removing the golden bag from his belt. Reaching in, he grabbed a bean before pulling it out and holding it out.

"A bean?" Wan Shi Tong questioned.

"Not an ordinary bean," Gohan answered. "This is a Senzu Bean. It can heal almost any injury no matter how severe. It also replenishes your energy and will keep you full for ten days," he explained.

"I don't believe you," Wan Shi Tong told him, shocking Gohan. "If you have no-"

"Wait, they do work," Gohan said.

"Prove it," Wan Shi Tong told him.

Gohan looked at the bean before looking around. Looking down at his left hand. He grabbed his middle finger.

"What are you doing?" Wan Shi Tong asked.

"Proving it," Gohan said as he snapped his own finger, stifling a growl of pain and shocking his friends.

Instinctively, Katara moved to heal him with Waterbending, but he had already put the Senzu in his mouth.

Swallowing, he moved the damaged finger in front of Wan Shi Tong's view, watching as the magic took it's effect.

"See?" he asked, wiggling his fingers.

"Impressive," Wan Shi Tong admitted.

Gohan offered over another bean. A bean the Spirit readily accepted.

"Enjoy the library," Wan Shi Tong said, leaving them.

"May I see one of those beans?" Zei asked.

* * *

><p>The group of teens had taken to finding any knowledge pertaining to the Fire Nation while Zei just tagged along to read anything.<p>

Gohan saw some thing that piqued his interest. He had gotten to know more about the spirits and the history of the world he was in. He was even able to see who past Avatars were.

While Sokka took anything of interest and put it in his bag that he had draped off his shoulders, Gohan looked for anything else that interested him.

They came across an incased paper that was burnt to an almost unsalvageable degree.

"The darkest day in Fire Nation history," Sokka read the words on the paper. "There's a date at the top, but nothing else," he said.

"I wonder what happened," Gohan said to himself before he saw something out of his peripheral vision.

There was a golden door at the end of a corridor. Wanting to know what was behind it, he started towards it.

"Where are you going?" Sokka asked.

"I want to see something, I'll find you when I'm done," he answered over his shoulder.

Once he reached the door, he noticed that it was slightly opened. Smiling, he opened it just enough for him to get through.

He looked around, noticing that this seemed to be the section about Spirits.

He noticed something was on display in the middle of the room. He walked over to it and saw a large piece of paper.

'The Prophecy: The Deal,' he read the title. It was dated nearly ten-thousand years ago. Curious, he started reading.

'Year seven-hundred seventy-seven, July seventh,' he mentally read the date. 'The war between Odkav, the God of Destruction, and Agni, the Fire Spirit, had finally ended, after the destruction of several galaxies [1],' he read, not noticing the arrival of Wan Shi Tong. "Wow, this guy sounds even stronger than Cell. To be able to defeat an entire family of Gods and leave only one alive, he would have been trouble if he ever came to earth, I wouldn't stand a chance even with my powers back."

"That would be an adequate assumption, boy." A familiar voice nearby startled him. "Even with your previous abilities you would also fall before the mighty Odkav."

He looked back to see Wan Shi Tong behind him. He was notably shocked by this. Both by the fact that Wan Shi Tong managed to sneak up on him, and the fact that he knew of his locked away powers.

"H-how do you know-"

"I have lived for over a millennia, boy, I am insulted that you underestimate my ability to tell the difference between you and a creature from my own universe," Wan Shi Tong said with mild irritation.

Gohan looked down and at his hands before looking back up at the Knowledge Spirit.

"I can also sense much power inside of you, power that seems to be both untapped and yet locked away. This...puzzles me, as this power feels much like that used by Odkav himself, but completely different at the same time. So tell me boy, what is your story?" he asked, wanting to KNOW this.

"Right," Gohan said, nodding. "My name is Gohan…" he told Wan Shi Tong his life story, not taking long.

However, he noticed that Wan Shi Tong would get angry with him during so.

"Are you upset?" Gohan asked.

"It seems as though the people of your world are just as savage as the humans of mine, if not even more so; only seeking an answer to conflict in violence rather than diplomacy." The spirit looked angry.

"That's not right," Gohan said, frowning. "In every battle we've been in, we've always tried a peaceful resolution," he explained. "And even now, in this world, the Avatar, our friends, and I are only interested in ending the war with the Fire Nation with as little death as possible," he said.

"I see you're curious to know more about this, correct?" Wan Shi Tong asked.

"Yeah," Gohan answered.

"It's an old prophecy made by a deal long ago. As you may know…" Wan Shi Tong began reciting all that he knew of the war and the prophecy that followed. "…The boy would be one of righteous upbringings while the girl was sinister. They are eternally bound to one another by the soul. Together, they would bring peace throughout the world, or unending chaos. You are that boy Son Gohan." Wan Shi Tong pointed to him.

Gohan stood there silently, trying to process this information he received. Now he knew - knew why he was here, how he go here, and what brought him here.

'It was a god and one of my ancestors that agreed to this,' he thought, frowning. 'Whis and some dead Saiyan,' he deduced. 'And…the girl is Azula,' he said to himself.

Just then Wan Shi Tong seemed to become enraged again.

"It seems as though yet another human has played me for a fool and used this library for the sole purpose of destruction. I warn you boy, this act against me will have consequences!" The Knowledge Spirit roared, soaring out of the room in anger.

Gohan regained his bearings and took off after Wan Shi Tong. However, he lost his footing after the gust of caused by the Spirit's departure.

He was far behind the spirit and Wan Shi Tong dove down to a different level of the library, leaving behind another gust of wind.

When he arrived, Gohan looked down and saw that the spirit had only flown down one level and was already wherever his friends were. Then he felt Sandbenders near Toph and Appa and paused to see what was happening.

He decided that Toph would be able to handle them if they wanted to cause trouble so he decided to jump down to the lower level.

However, as fate would have it, just when he was about to jump, he lost his footing and fell when the entire library started shaking violently.

Now he was falling down to the bottom of the library. He flailed his arms in a vain attempt to stop himself from falling before he landed on a bookcase, shattering the wood and damaging many books.

Rolling off the shelf, he looked back up and could hear Wan Shi Tong attacking his friends. Even the sound of the occasional smashing of bookcases could be heard.

He immediately started to climb to their level. When he reached about halfway there, he saw Wan Shi Tong fall below to the bottom of the library, but he continued anyways.

Then, he heard a screech of anger and Wan Shi Tong flying past him.

Acting quick, he grabbed onto Wan Shi Tong's left wing, catching the spirit off guard, getting a free ride to the top, also noticing Wan Shi Tong's new, menacing form.

When he reached the top, he touched down on his feet and immediately shifted his weight, pulling Wan Shi Ton away from his friends and into a nearby bookcase.

"We don't have to fight, just hear me out," he requested.

"You humans are deceitful creatures. And I mustn't allow you to leave with the knowledge you attained. Any of you," Wan Shi Tong said with narrowed eyes.

"Then you leave me no choice," Gohan said, slipping into the Turtle Stance.

Wordlessly, Wan Shi Tong rushed and tried pecking at Gohan.

But Gohan had punched up, anticipating where the spirit strike. The result ended with Wan Shi Tong knocked unconscious.

"Now that he's taken care of…" Gohan turned and only saw Katara near him. "… where's Aang and Sokka?" he asked, looking around.

"They went to go see when the next solar eclipse will be," Katara answered.

Gohan and Katara ran over to the rope and waited for Sokka and Aang to return. There, Gohan saw professor Zei reading a pile of books.

"Professor, we have to leave," he told him.

"I can't leave. I've spent too long trying to find this place. I can live here forever," Zei replied.

"Are you crazy?" Gohan asked, moving towards Zei. "How long do you think you'll live before you die of hunger or dehydration? A week, maybe two weeks?" he asked, kneeling next to Zei.

"I- but, there is nothing like this library on the entire planet!" Zei exclaimed.

"And do you think you'll be able to read everything in two weeks?" Gohan asked, feeling Aang and Sokka quickly arriving. "You'll did before you can even finish this pile of books right here." He pointed at the pile in front of them.

Zei looked down at the books. "But the knowledge is priceless," he countered weakly.

"More so than your own life?" Gohan asked. "If that's how you feel, think about the people you're leaving behind or your job in Ba Sing Se," he said.

Zei took a moment to reflect on this. He did have an aging mother that would soon need help surviving. And then there was the university. Who would report the finding of the library if he died here? But the desire to stay was stronger than anything concerning those topics.

"No, I'm not leaving. This is my choice." Zei held a book close to his chest.

Gohan sighed before looking back to see Aang and Sokka arrive. "Ok, I guess if you really want to... just look out for Wan Shi Tong. He might be angry when he wakes up," he said, running over to his friends.

Gohan then started climbing the rope with them and once they reached the top and he jumped out and onto the soft sand below.

Toph, who was keeping the library from sinking with her Earthbending, released the huge building.

"We got it," Sokka said once they all got to their feet. "There's a solar eclipse soon," he cheered, hugging his sister.

Gohan, however, wasn't in a cheerful mood. He had just let a man seal his fate. A death that was fast approaching in less than two weeks.

He looked down at Toph by his feet. She had her knees to her chest, sadly looking down at the ground.

"What's wrong, Toph?" he asked, crouching down to her level.

She cringed at his voice, covering her ears and shaking her head.

"Where's Appa?" Aang asked, causing her to shake her head harder.

Gohan began searching for Appa's energy signature. Aang looked to him, hoping that he could find their big, furry friend.

He could feel several _animals_, and a tribe of Sandbenders. But no Appa.

"I-it's no use," he said, sighing as he opened his eyes. "His signature doesn't stand out enough for me to pick it up," he said.

"What do you mean?" Aang asked angrily, in Gohan's face. "You said _every_ living being has their own unique energy! Why can't you find him?!"

"I'm sorry, Aang." Gohan looked away.

Aang stormed away from, looking out in a random direction for his life long companion. Everyone else also stared in different direction.

* * *

><p>"I think the best course of action would be to go hunt down those Sandbenders," Gohan said.<p>

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Aang agreed. "We could ask them where they took Appa," he said.

"Right," Sokka said.

"Nimbus!" Gohan shouted, summoning the magic cloud. "I'll carry Toph and Sokka while you carry Katara," Gohan told Aang.

Aang nodded in agreement.

Moments later, the yellow cloud came and swooped down to Gohan.

"Ready," Gohan asked Aang. "Here, Sokka." Gohan shrugged his shoulders. "Grab on," he ordered, picking up Toph bridal style.

Awkwardly, Sokka latched on Gohan's back before being lifted into the air by the cloud. Aang held onto Katara before following Gohan's lead.

* * *

><p>"Well, would you look at that," Barkarot chuckled. "That boy has gone and figured it out. Now all we have to wait for is for him to unlock his powers!"<p>

"I should've know Wan Shi Tong would have that information in his library," Agni grumbled, frowning.

"It's not entirely a bad thing. Heck, he knows the girl is attractive. For all you know, this could be a nudge in the right direction," Barkarot said.

"We'll just have to see," Whis said casually.

* * *

><p>Because Aang couldn't fly as fast as Nimbus, they ended up flying for hours.<p>

"I swear, you're the most uncomfortable thing to ever sit on," Toph complained.

"Yeah, and I can no longer feel my arms," Sokka added.

"I guess a break is much needed at this point," Gohan said, looking back to see Aang struggling with Katara.

He ordered Nimbus to fly down, Aang soon to follow.

It was starting to get dark and they needed somewhere to rest before continuing.

"If I'm right, Sandbenders should be about thirty miles straight ahead." He pointed at the direction he felt the Sandbenders.

"Katara, may I have some water?" Toph asked.

"Sure, but we have to even it out," Katara said, bending the water out and giving some to Sokka, Aang, Momo, and Toph. Gohan declined his own portion as he sat on the ground in a meditative position.

"Aang," Gohan grabbed the Avatar's attention. "Why don't you just meditate? It could help," he said.

Aang looked at him, frowning. "How can you expect me to meditate at a time like this?" Aang asked, taking his glider and flying off.

"Aang, where are you going?" Katara called after him.

"Just give him some time to think," Gohan said, closing his eyes.

Aang left so he could go blow his bison whistle in blind hopes that Appa would hear it and come for him.

* * *

><p>An hoar passed, and when it seemed as if Aang would be gone for a while, the group set out on foot towards the Sandbenders.<p>

Not even two minutes after staring their walk, Toph stubbed her foot on something that was protruding from the sand.

"Ow," she complained, falling to her rear and holding her foot. "I hate not seeing clearly," she said. "Who even buries a boat in the middle of the desert?"

"Sand benders," Gohan answered, walking over to her just as Aang started to return.

"Are you sure?" Katara asked as Aang landed near them.

"Yeah, I kicked it hard enough to know what it is," Toph said, being helped to her feet by Gohan.

"Aang, can you blow the sand away?" Gohan asked the Avatar.

Without responding, Aang blew away the sand, revealing a Sandbender sailer.

"Since it was a bad ride last time, how about we all ride on this thing?" Gohan suggested.

"Aang, you can use your Airbending to get it going while I steer," Sokka said, starting towards the boat.

"Fine," Aang said, walking into position on the sailer.

Gohan, Katara and Toph all boarded after that.

After an hour of this, they arrived in the middle of what seemed to be a gathering.

There were forty Sandbenders talking amongst each other when they noticed the arrival of the five.

"What are you doing in our land with a Sandbender sailer?" The Leader stepped forward. "From the looks of it, you stole it from our neighboring tribe in the east," he said.

"We found it abandoned in the desert," Katara answered. "We're traveling with the Avatar." She pointed to Aang, startling them.

Gohan looked between seven of the men. They were the men he felt earlier at the library, but, Appa wasn't with them.

"Our bison was stolen and we have to get to Ba Sing Se," Katara finished.

"First, you ride in on a stolen sand sailer, then accuse us of stealing your bison!" one of the energy signatures Gohan recognized said.

"Silence, son," the leader said harshly. "No one accused us of anything. If what say is true, we must give them hospitality," he said.

"Sorry, father," the son apologized.

"I recognize the son's voice," Toph suddenly said, whispering to her friends. "He's the one who stole Appa," she said.

"Are you sure?" Katara asked.

"I never forget a voice," Toph said.

Frowning, Aang walked to the front of the group and pointed at the son with his staff. "You stole Appa!" he accused. "Where is he, what did you do to him?" he demanded.

"They're lying," Ghashiun told his father. "They're the thieves!" he accused.

Angrily, Aang sent a wave of air that destroyed one of the sand sailers used by the Sandbenders.

"Where is my bison?" Aang demanded. "Tell me where he is, now!" Aang demanded, destroying another sand sailer when he said 'now'.

"What did you do?" the leader demanded of his son.

"I-it wasn't me," Ghashiun lied.

"You said to put a muzzle on him!" Toph pointed towards Ghashiun.

"You muzzled my bison?" Aang asked angrily, unintentionally going into the Avatar State. He destroyed another sand sailer before menacingly glaring at Ghashiun.

"I'm sorry," the young man apologized. "I didn't know it was the Avatar's bison," he said.

"Tell me where Appa is!" Aang demanded, his voice coming out in a mix Professor voices from past lives as he aimed his staff at the young Sandbender.

"I traded him. To merchants," Ghashiun answered. "He's probably already at Ba Sing Se," he said. "That's where they said they were going to sell him."

His answer only served to anger Aang, for the Avatar started emitting strong wind in all directions, creating a sphere of air around him.

"Run!" Sokka ordered, pushing Gohan forward and grabbing Toph's hand and running to safety with her.

About halfway to safety, Gohan started running back to grab Katara when he realized she wasn't with them. But, to his surprise, she had started calming the Avatar by grabbing his hand and pulling him into a hug.

A sad look was on his face as the dozens of Sandbenders continued running away. He understood what Aang was feeling. If his old pal Icarus was stolen, he'd probably go Super Saiyan in an instant.

Now, with Appa gone, they still needed to make it to Ba Sing Se to tell the Earth King about the upcoming eclipse. On the bright side, at least they could look for Appa in the city while they were there.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: wow, it's been a long wait, huh? Well, there you have it. Now that Gohan knows part of the truth, what will happen when he tells his friends? Or, more importantly, will he ask if Azula already knew this? <strong>

**Note: you might say that I skipped the episode "Bitter work", but I didn't. It takes place after Gohan leaves on Nimbus. I hope you all understood that.**

**Let me tell you all that Gohan WILL be getting his powers back. I want to know if a villain should appear in this story. You know, Freeza, Ginyu Force, Nappa, Raditz, Broly, Cell, Bojack, Bojack's gang, etc..**

**Just let me know in the reviews what you think. **

Q/A next chapter.


	14. Chapter 14:

ATLA chapter fourteen

Gohan sat on the sand sailer, trying to gather his scattered thoughts. His mind was on many subjects - subjects he now knew the answers to.

Wind rushed past his face, violently whipping his hair back as the sound of shifting sands filled his ears.

'Bound together by our souls,' he thought, thinking of Azula. This entire situation, now that he had all the pieces together, made him feel like his entire existence was to be with Azula. That made him feel a few different emotions.

He was angry that such Gods would take him away from his previous life and bring him to a world where he not only knew nothing about, but away from his family and loved ones. No to mention the fact that all his power had been taken away from him.

He was sad that one of his so called Godly ancestors would ship him off without a warning or any clue of this happening.

He was relieved because he now didn't need to over work his brain for answers to the many questions he had.

And then he was also confused for why, if Agni wanted powerful family, had his powers been taken? Wouldn't the children be far more powerful if he was at full power during the conception?

He blushed at the thought. Luckily, no one saw it.

Crossing his arms across his chest, he began searching for Appa with his mind.

With the latest turn of events, the five of them had been following a map out of the desert and towards Ba Sing Se on the sand sailer they acquired earlier in the day.

Gohan could tell by the slight decrease in the speed they were currently traveling at that Aang was less angry with all that has transpired and now more determined to get Appa back.

The others were also saddened by the loss of Appa, but they had more important things to contend with. They had to deliver the information about the eclipse and the Fire Nation to the Earth King in Ba Sing Se.

Gohan ignored the bond between himself and Azula as he looked towards the horizon.

Hopefully, they'd be able to go all the way to Ba Sing Se without incident.

* * *

><p>Four days passed quick. Now the group of five were nearly at Ba Sing Se. There were two paths to take and Gohan was with Sokka trying to figure out which one to take.<p>

They sat on a large rock protrusion with the map laid flat between them as their eyes scanned across it.

There was water that kept them from going across. They needed a bridge or a boat to make it across to the north.

"Look here." Sokka pointed at a small slither of land between the north and south. "The only way to get across is by going through… the Serpent's Pass." He squinted his eyes to read the small words.

"I guess you're right. I mean, without Appa, there's no way across," Gohan said, standing and flipping off the rock.

Just then, Gohan looked up as Katara decided to do a canon-ball into the water, making water shoot out and in every direction, wetting him, Sokka, Toph, and the map. Aang was actually in the water and was blasted out by the force of the water.

"Thanks for getting the five-thousand year old map wet, Katara," Sokka said sarcastically.

"Oh, lighten up," Katara said, coming from the water and pulling the liquid from the map, drying it.

"So, which route are we taking?" Aang asked, walking over to Sokka.

"We're going through this slim pathway called the Serpent's Pass," Gohan answered, standing next to Toph.

"Are you sure that's the best way to go?" Toph asked, crossing her arms.

"It's the only way," Sokka answered. "Because we don't have Appa, that is," he said as an afterthought.

"Shush up about Appa," Katara warned him in a whisper. "Can't you at least try to be sensitive?" She looked to Aang who had his knees to his chest.

"It's ok, Katara. I know I was upset before, but now I just want to get to Ba Sing Se to tell the Earth King about the solar eclipse," Aang said.

"Oh, ok. It's good that your doing better," Katara told him.

"Then it's on to Ba Sing Se." Sokka stood up, rolling up the map. "No more distractions," he said.

"Hello, fellow refugees," a man's voice greeted them from behind.

Gohan had felt these people earlier, but since they harbored no ill feelings, he wasn't alarmed.

Gohan smiled at the group of three as they made their way over to them. There was a man, a pregnant woman, and a girl no older than him. All three of them were dressed in Earth Kingdom clothes.

"Are you guys on your way to Ba Sing Se, too?" Aang asked them.

"Yes we are," Tahn answered happily. "We want to get there before my wife, Ying, had her baby." He placed his hands on her shoulder.

"Great, we can travel through the Serpent's Pass together." Katara smiled.

"The Serpent's Pass?" Ying and her two traveling companions looked frightened. "That deadly route is only taken by the truly desperate," she said.

"Deadly route… great pick, guys," she pushed Sokka into Gohan and onto the floor.

"We are desperate," Sokka said, being pushed away by Gohan.

"You should come with us to Full-Moon Bay. Ferries take refugees across the lake. It's the fastest way to Ba Sing Se," Tahn said.

"And it's hidden, do the Fire Nation can't catch us," Ying said.

"Well, I think the choice is easy," Gohan said, clapping his hands, looking expectantly to his friends.

* * *

><p>The now group of eight traveled together to the secret cove that was Full Moon Bay.<p>

Once inside, they all got a good look at the amount of people inside. Hundreds of people - babies, seniors, woman, and man - all clumped together, wanting to be safe from the Fire Nation.

"Look at all the lives that have been uprooted by the Fire Nation," Katara said, looking from person to person.

"We are all looking for a better life, safe behind the walls of Ba Sing Se," Tahn said.

The group then separated and the Gaang got in line to get tickets across the lake.

In front of them was a man trying to get a ticket to Ba Sing Se with cabbages. Sadly, he was reprimanded for having the vegetables and taken away.

Now it was there turn. Aang walked forward a bit timidly.

"Five tickets to Ba Sing Se, please," the Avatar requested.

"Do you have a passport?" the woman asked.

"We didn't know we needed passports," Aang said, looking back for help.

"Don't you know who he is?" Sokka asked, pointing at Aang. "He's the Avatar," he said.

"Bah, I see fifty Avatar's a day," the woman sneered. "And by the way, it's not a very impressive costume." She pointed to the side where there were people dressed in costumes, trying to look like Aang. "Besides, no animals allowed. Do I need to call security?" She leaned forward.

"That won't be necessary," Aang said, turning away.

"Next!"

Toph walked forward and passed Aang. "I'll take care of this," she said under her breath. "My name's Toph Bei Fong and I'll need five tickets," she said, placing a card on the desk.

Gohan saw the woman's eyes enlarge as she looked at it. "The golden seal of the flying boar," she said, astonished. "It is an honor to help anyone of the Bei Fong family." The woman bowed.

"It is," Toph said curtly, an air of authority forming in the way she presented herself. "As you can see, I'm blind and these four imbeciles are my valet." She pointed to the four behind her.

"But the animal…"

"Is my seeing eye lemur," Toph said.

"Well, it's normally one ticket per passport. But since this document is so official, I suppose it could be worth five tickets," she said, giving five tickets a stamp of approval.

"Thank you very much," Toph said, grabbing the tickets before walking away.

Once the were a good few feet away, Sokka, in a cocky tone, said, "yeah, we scammed that lady good."

No sooner than the words left his mouth had he been been snatched by the back of his collar by someone.

"Tickets and passports, please," a young woman demanded fiercely, looking Sokka in the eyes.

"Is there a problem?" Gohan asked, turning around to look at the girl. 'She feels familiar,' he thought as dawning realization started creeping in.

The girl looked to him, scrutinizing his face before her eyes widened. "You!" she seethed, looking at him heatedly.

"Me?" Gohan asked before it clicked. "You're one of those girls from that island." He pointed at her.

"Suki!" Sokka cheered, now knowing who she was as he hugged her.

"Watch out, he's a Fire Nation spy," Suki said, moving in front of Gohan.

"No, he's my best friend," Sokka defended Gohan. "There was a misunderstanding." He smiled at the Kyoshi Warrior.

Suki seemed to soften up at this news. "Oh, sorry." She looked sheepishly at Gohan.

Sokka began leading her towards the others, informing Suki of the events since their last meeting.

* * *

><p>Princess Azula sat in her chambers, in the Fire Nation's big drill, dressed in a red, silk robe, with her hair down. The drill was designed to penetrate the the impenetrable city.<p>

Ba Sing Se was a good distance away, and the fact that the drill was slow didn't help one bit. But she wasn't complaining.

In fact, she wasn't going to be joining the crew on this journey to Ba Sing Se, but since she figured that the Avatar needed an Earthbending teacher, and the fact that she could feel Gohan moving closer to the city, she decided to go with the drill.

Gohan. She had been able to keep the boy out of her mind for the entirety of the trip, but sometimes, she couldn't help but almost allow herself the slightest curl of the lips; nearly impossible to spot.

And that angered her. She didn't know why, but she felt like she wanted Gohan to be near her. As a companion. But more so than Mai and Ty Lee. She didn't know why and it was infuriating at times.

She found her mind wandering to places she did not want to be so she decided to go to sleep. A good night's rest would surely keep him off her mind in the morning.

* * *

><p>Gohan stood between Aang and Toph, arms crossed as Sokka and Katara caught up with Suki.<p>

"You look so different without your make-up," Katara commented on Suki's attire. "And the new outfit… unrecognizable."

"That crabby lady makes all the security guards where them," Suki said, looking at herself. "But look at you, sleeveless guy," she said directed at Sokka. "Have you been working out?" she asked.

"Eh, I do some hardcore exercises with Gohan in the evenings, nothing major for me, but no one else would be able to do it," Sokka said, trying to look impressive while flexing,

"Are the other Kyoshi Warriors around?" Aang asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah," Suki answered. "After you left Kyoshi, we wanted to help people. We've been helping escorting refugees and have been here ever since," she said. "But why are you getting tickets for the ferry when you can fly across on Appa?" she asked, petting Momo on the head.

Silence.

"Appa was stolen," Gohan answered, looking amongst his friends.

"We hope we can find him in Ba Sing Se," Katara added, looking to Aang.

The Avatar looked away, not wanting to go into that conversation.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Suki said. "Are you feeling ok?" she asked Aang.

The Avatar looked to the four teens that were now staring at him. His eyes narrowed. "I'm fine. Would you all stop worrying about me?!"

"Avatar Aang," Ying's voice, sounding panicked, reached their ears from below.

They looked over the edge and at the refugees that brought them here.

"You must help us. Someone has stolen all of our belongings. Our passports, everything is gone." Ying started crying.

"I'll talk to the lady for you," Aang told them, starting towards the ticket lady.

The Avatar attempted to ask but was harshly put down by the woman. She even stamped his forehead.

"Don't worry," Aang said once he walked back to Ying and Tahn. "You'll make it to Ba Sing Se safely. I'll lead you through the Serpent's Pass," he told them as his friends stood behind him, nodding in agreement.

And with that promise, Gohan and his friends discarded their tickets so they could lead the refugees to Ba Sing Se.

* * *

><p>"This is Serpent's Pass," Sokka asked when they saw the path. "I expected the path to be more like a… serpent," he said. "Guess they misnamed it."<p>

"Snakes aren't always twisted and curvy," Gohan said, knowing from the ones he's seen.

"Look at this horrible writing," Ying gasped, looking at a post.

"What's it say?" Toph asked, as Katara walked over to see.

"It says, 'abandon hope,'" Katara answered.

"How could we do such a thing when it's all we have?" Ying hugged her husband.

"I don't know." Aang brought all eyes to him. "The monks used to say that hope is just an illusion." He turned away. "So maybe we do need to abandon it," he said.

"What are you talking about?" Katara questioned.

"Hope isn't going to get us to Ba a Sing Se, and it's not gonna find Appa, actions will. We need to focus on what's happening right now. And that's getting across this path," Aang said.

"If you don't have hope to find Appa," Gohan started, walking to the front of the group. "Then you better have faith," he said. He didn't know it, but his words brought smiles to all but Aang.

Aang started forward and everyone stepped into line behind him with Gohan and Sokka in the back. It was dangerous to walk with the steep cliff and narrow space, but they managed to stay safe for a while.

"The Fire Nation controls the western side of the lake. Rumor has it that they are working on something big on the other side and they don't want anyone to know what it is," Suki said, being the first to talk after they started, looking out at two Fire Nation ships that patrolled the water.

Not ten feet after that, Tahn slipped, he was sure to plummet to his death if Gohan hadn't caught him, seconds before Toph could move to.

"I'm ok!" Tahn assured everyone.

"Let's keep going," Gohan said.

The group eight walked for hours on end after that. Nothing eventful happened and they ended up setting camp up for the night.

The sun was setting and everyone was doing there own thing. Sokka freaked out a couple of times over Suki's safety. He was just too worried he'd lose her like he lost Yue.

Eventually, Gohan fell asleep and instantly started dreaming.

_In the dream, he woke up by the sound of soft breathing near him. Usually, this wouldn't wake him up, but because he felt he was on a bed, he sat up to take in his surroundings._

_He was in a darkened room with dark red drapes hanging from the walls in a regal design. The walls themselves seemed to be framed in gold with family portraits here and there._

_The bed he was on was soft, the softest bed he ever touched. He looked over to a sleeping form that, by the looks of it, seemed to be a girl._

_She had her back to him so he could only see her hair. Sheets covered most of her still form. _

_Curiously, he peered over to see who she was. He gasped when he saw that it was Azula._

_Scrambling from the bed, he accidentally took the sheets off with him, waking up the sleeping Princess in the process._

_"Gohan… what are you doing?" She sat up, looking at him with narrowed eyes. _

_"W-what? Why am I here? What am I doing in a bed with you?" he asked, pointing at her,_

_He looked down at himself and noticed that only his private area was covered by a loincloth with underwear. _

_"Don't you remember?" Azula asked, raising a thin eyebrow at him. _

_"No!" he answered loudly, covering his already covered part with his hands._

_"We're married as of last night," she said, smiling. "And the Fire Lord has resigned and left the crown to you, his son-in-law."_

_Gohan gaped at her. Married? Fire Lord? Impossible!_

_Gohan stood stiff as Azula started towards him. She was barely covered by the thin, nearly see through garment she had on._

_"Come back to bed," she demanded in a sultry tone as she stood from the bed and started towards him._

_She got one foot away from him before she grabbed his arm and started pulling him to the bed. _

In that moment, Gohan woke up sweating. He looked around to make sure he wasn't dreaming anymore. He saw that everyone seemed to be asleep.

"Gohan?" Toph's voice reached his ears. "What's wrong?" she asked, awoken by his speeding heart beat through the vibrations.

"N-nothing. Just a really weird dream," he said sitting up. "Thanks for asking," he said.

But she didn't hear, she had already gone back to sleep after his first answer.

'Man, that dream was crazy. I… think I need some fresh air,' he thought, standing up to walk away.

Little did he know, many miles away, Azula had experienced a very similar dream.

_In her dream, she had woken up to the feeling of the disproportionate weight on her bed. An intruder!? An assassin!? Whoever it was, they were definitely not supposed to be in her room - much less - her bed._

_She sprang from the bed and immediately ignited it with her fire. She'd just kill whoever it was and be done with it. But much to her surprise, the person rolled from the bed and pulled the flames from the bed._

_'A Firebender,' she thought, ready to strike at any moment. She watched as the flames died down enough for her to see the person's face. It was Gohan. He was in her bed! Why was he in her bed? Did they…? No! That was just absurd!_

_"Azula, what are you doing?" Gohan asked her._

_"'What am I doing?' What are you doing in my bedroom?" she asked, pointing an accusing finger at him. "What are you doing here?" she asked, more commanding this time._

_"I was sleeping until you pulled that stunt just now," he answered dully. "Don't tell me you're upset I killed Ozai," he sighed. "We've been over this already; I'm Fire Lord, you're Fire Lady. You almost have as much authority as me so you have nothing to worry about," he said._

_"What are you talking about?" she demanded, confused by his words. "Aren't you apart of the Avatar's little gang?" she sneered._

_"Why are you bringing up the Avatar? We killed him last night to celebrate our marriage," he said, shocking her further as he started towards her. "Love changes a man," he said._

_She glared at him as he got a foot away from her. "I don't love you," she seethed._

_Smirking, he leaned forward as if he were about to kiss her lined lips, but he kept his mouth only an inch away as he turned his head a little. He kept his eyes on her's as he said, "I never said you love me… but that's not what you were saying last night."_

In that moment, Azula woke up flushed.

'Just a dream,' she told herself, trying to calm her quickly beating heart. Damn him! Had he effected her so much that she was dreaming about him! It was infuriating! She didn't even like him! Especially not in the way he implied!

She felt like burning something. Or better yet, like burning him. She wanted to burn his stupid face off. She decided that the next time she saw his face, she would burn it off.

* * *

><p>In the morning, Gohan stood with all the members of his group as they prepared to continue their journey through the Serpent's Pass. They were a little over halfway there. One more day and they should be to Ba Sing Se.<p>

He stretched, thinking if the previous night as he did so. He hadn't been able to sleep after that… 'dream' he had, so he meditated throughout the entire night. It turned out to be a good thing because he managed to push that memory all the way to the back of his mind.

He trekked along with his friends, hearing Sokka shout out warnings to Suki every now and then as he kept his mind occupied with math and science problems so he wouldn't think of Azula.

He was so lost in his mind that he didn't notice everyone stop. He continued walking until he bumped into Suki.

"Hey!" she complained.

"S-sorry," the Saiyan apologized, looking forward, seeing what made everyone stop; a huge gap of water that separated the path.

"Everyone, single file," Katara ordered, having come up with a solution.

The other seven stood straight behind her as she started forward, bending the water around them to clear the path.

"A little hep, Aang?" Katara requested, unable to do it herself.

The Avatar handed his staff to Toph before joining Katara in moving the water.

With the water now being bent around them, the travelers were able to look around the bottom of the lake no problem. There were tons of fish and other marine life that swam near them.

Gohan was enjoying the scenery until he sensed something. Sharply turning to the side, he could see a long snake-like creature moving through the water around them.

"We need to hurry across!" he told them. But it was too late, the creature had already charged at them.

He jumped back out of the way and watched as the creature destroyed the bubble Katara and Aang made, causing water to rush into it.

Acting quick, Toph created a pillar that brought all of them to the surface, saving their lives.

"Are you guys all okay?" Gohan asked, looking around at the water, following the large sea creature's movements with his sensing ability.

It was quiet for a few moments before the sea serpent emerged from the water and loomed over them. It immediately lunged at them, prompting Gohan to take action.

The Saiyan jumped into the air and kicked it's jaw, sending it back a few feet. He then brought both feet down on it head, damaging it before using it like a springboard to get back to the small island made by Toph

The Saiyan then shot a stream of fire at the creature while Aang sent it back a few meters with a powerful gust of wind. The Avatar took to the air with his glider he took from, planning to lure it away.

Katara, taking the opportunity, created a bridge of water all the way across for the others before joining Aang on the sea.

Gohan, knowing that Katara and Aang could handle it, started across the bridge. He looked back when he felt that Toph was not following them.

"C'mon, Toph, what are you waiting for?" he called over to her.

"I can't see on ice!" she answered.

"Alright, don't move, I'm coming," he said, starting to run back towards her. Once he reached her, he scooped her up into his arms before starting back. But halfway there, the sea serpent's tail came down near them.

Reacting before he could think, Gohan jumped the rest of the way. Soaring through the air, he braced Toph's neck before landing, skidding to a halt next to Sokka.

"Talk about a close call," he said, looking back at the distance he had just covered, not noticing the stares of shock by those that weren't in the Gaang.

"Good job, buddy." Sokka patted him on the back.

"Thanks, Gohan." Toph hugged him around the neck. "You're my hero." She smooched him on the neck.

"It was no problem," he said, setting her straight before evening out his disheveled clothes. "I couldn't let you die out there."

"You just jumped, like, over fifty feet!" Suki exclaimed, looking at him, unable to figure out how a non-Airbender had managed to do that.

"Yeah, I guess we have some explaining to do, huh?" Gohan asked as Aang and Katara returned.

The rest of the path through the Serpent's Pass was spent bu Gohan telling Suki and, by association, Tahn and his group a shortened version of the story he told his friends.

"… and that's basically everything that has happened," Gohan finished. Looking ahead, he could see the outer wall of Ba Sing Se. "And there's the wall," he said, pointing to the wall.

"Yeah, that's the wall!" Sokka exclaimed. "Now it's nothing but smooth sailing all the way to Ba Sing Se," he said.

"Oh no!" Ying gasped, clutching her stomach. Tahn and the girl hurriedly at her side.

"What's wrong?" Sokka asked.

"The baby's coming," Ying said, shocking them.

"What! No! Can't you hold it in?" Sokka pleaded. "We're almost there!" He pointed to the wall.

"Sokka calm down." Katara turned to her brother. "It's just a baby. I've helped Gran Gran deliver many of them," she said.

"Delivering an arctic seal isn't the same as delivering a real life human thing!" Sokka exclaimed.

"It's called a baby, Sokka. And I've helped deliver plenty of those," Katara said. "Aang, get some rags; Sokka, go get some water; Toph, create a huge earth tent; Suki, you're with me," she ordered.

Gohan sat back and watched as everyone went to work. It didn't take long for Aang and Toph to complete their jobs, now they were waiting for Sokka to get back.

As soon as the oldest teen returned and stepped into the tent, he fainted at the sight of what was between Ying's legs.

Gohan pulled him out before going in to see the freshly delivered new born. It was a healthy, baby girl!

Minutes of admiring the baby went by before Toph and Sokka entered.

"It sounds healthy," Toph noted, hearing the baby wail as Katara went to get Aang.

"It looks squishy," Sokka commented.

"Congrats," Gohan said as Aang and Katara entered.

"What should we name her?" Tahn asked hovering over his wife's shoulder, looking down at their daughter.

"I want our daughter's name to be unique; something meaningful," Ying replied.

Aang, who had shed a few tears, walked forward. "I've been going through a hard time lately," he said. "But you've made me… hopeful again."

Gohan smiled as Ying turned to Tahn. "I know what I want to name her," Ying said. "Hope."

"That's a perfect name," Tahn said. "Hope," he repeated the name.

Toph left after that. She was unable to see the baby so she left, followed by everyone else a little later. Gohan stood next to her while everyone prepared to start their walking again.

"I remember when my brother Goten was born," Gohan told her. "He brought the reality of peace to my world. There were no threats or anything to be afraid during that time. And that peace lasted all this time," he said.

"Babies have that sort of odd effect on people," Suki said, walking over with Sokka.

Gohan looked over to the happy couple and their baby. Peace. Hopefully this world didn't have long to wait for such a thing. He didn't want the baby to grow up in a war-stricken world. Alas, it seemed that it was inevitable as long as he was weakened and Aang was still mastering the elements.

Speaking of Aang, he was over near Katara, apologizing for the way he behaved in the past few days.

The four walked over to Aang and Katara shortly after. Toph had Aang's glider.

"I promise I'll find Appa as fast as I can," Aang told them as he took his glider from Toph. He planned on going into the city alone. "I really need to do this," he said.

"And we'll see you in the big city," Sokka said.

"Say hello to that big fur ball for me." Toph punched Aang in the arm.

"You'll find him," Katara told Aang.

"I know," Aang replied.

"Good luck," Gohan said.

"Thanks, guys," Aang said as he prepared to go off with his glider. Seconds later, Aang and Momo both took to the air towards Ba Sing Se with the goal of finding Appa.

* * *

><p>Gohan made sure all of his belongings were still tied to him. He had everything besides the senzu beans and power pole in the capsule in tucked under his belt. Well, except the capsule car. That was still at the Souther Water Tribe.<p>

After he was sure, he looked behind him and saw Sokka and Suki kissing. He turned away from that scene at first glance to make sure everyone else was ready to continue forward.

Tahn and his group was ready, Katara was ready, he was ready, and… Sokka and Suki were still kissing.

A few minutes later, Suki took off, back to Full-Moon Bay. The group made their way to the wall after goodbyes were said.

They walked for over thirty minutes before they entered within a mile of Ba Sing Se. They saw Aang gliding back back to them. They were puzzled by this because Aang was supposed to be searching for Appa in the city.

"Aang, what are you doing here?" Katara asked. "Aren't you supposed to be looking for Appa?" she asked when he landed.

"I was," Aang answered. "But something stopped me. Something big."

He didn't tell them what it was and as they started towards the outer wall of Ba Sing Se, Gohan reached out with his mind to see what the problem was. As soon as he felt Azula, he felt her through their bond. The rush in the feeling made him feel weird on the inside.

"Azula…" he whispered, looking in her direction.

"Don't tell me it's her," Katara said.

When they reached the wall, Toph and Aang used Earthbending to bring them up the wall.

"Now what's big enough to make Appa wait?" Sokka asked.

"That." Aang pointed at a huge drill that was easily visible from the height they were at.

"We've made it all the way to Ba Sing Se only to find out that it wasn't safe," Ying said, being hugged by her husband.

"What are you people doing on the wall?!" A guard shouted at them from behind. "Civilians aren't allowed up here!" They turned to see two soldiers staring at them expectantly.

"I'm the Avatar." Aang stepped forward. "Take me to whoever's in charge," he ordered.

The two men looked to each other before leading the group to the General in charge of the defense against the Fire Nation's drill.

"It is a privilege to have you here at the wall, young Avatar, but you're assistance is not needed," the General told them after a brief explanation about who they were.

"What do you mean, 'not needed,'?" Aang asked.

"Not needed is what I mean," the old man said, walking away, gesturing for them to follow. "The situation is under control. I assure you, the Fire Nation cannot penetrate this wall." He stood at an edge to look down. "Many have tried, but they all failed."

"What about the Dragon of the West?" Toph asked knowingly. "He got in," she said.

"But he was quickly expunged!" The General turned to her quickly. "That's why the city is named Ba Sing Se; it means 'Impenetrable City.' And not Na Sing Se. That's the 'Penetrable City,'" the General chuckled.

"Yeah, but what about the drill?" Toph asked, ignoring his attempt at humor.

"It won't be here for long because I've sent an elite task force called the Terror Team to stop it," he answered proudly.

"Hmm… that's a great name for a group," Sokka commented. "Very catchy." He looked thoughtful.

The General looked into a telescope to check on the platoon of Earthbenders, and paled at what he saw. They were taken down by two girls in less than a minute!

"We're doomed!" he exclaimed.

"Get a hold of yourself." Sokka slapped the man.

"Would you like our help now?" Toph asked.

"Yes, please," the General answered meekly, lowering his head in shame.

"How do we take down something so big?" Aang asked, looking over the edge at the drill.

Katara, Toph, and Aang all looked to Sokka for the answer. Though, it was Gohan who answered.

"Air and Rock will be useless against that thing because of its size and density. There's not enough water around here to try to wash it away or erode the metal away. I could probably melt it some, but I think it's too big for that." Gohan looked thoughtful. "The structural weak points must be inside of it," he said.

"That's it!" Sokka exclaimed. "We'll take it down from the inside!" he said.

"Great," Gohan said. "Now that we have a plan of laid out, it's all a matter of how we execute it," he said.

"Let's get down there," Aang said, Earthbending the wall is they could get down it. Toph helped him as the other three stood nearby.

Together, the two got them down and into a trench, out of view of the drill.

"As soon as I whip up some cover, we're gonna have to run for it," Toph said.

* * *

><p>In the observation deck inside the drill, Azula smirked when she felt that Gohan was close. She would finally have the chance to rid herself of him.<p>

"Ah, look at that cloud!" Ty Lee said enthusiastically. "It's so… puffy." She gestured with her hand to emphasize her point.

"I'm sure it's nothing, Princess,"

Azula looked from the war minister to the cloud. She could feel Gohan approaching closer with each passing second.

"I find it odd to believe that such an abnormal thing could be 'nothing'," Azula said sharply. "Mai, Ty Lee." She suddenly stood. "Come with me," she ordered.

* * *

><p>Gohan, Sokka, Katara and Aang had entered the drill through a maintenance hole and made their way through it before running into an engineer that worked in it. They beat him up and took the schematics of the ship before going to structural weak points in the drill.<p>

Now they were no in the outer shell, planning to destroy the braces holding the outer and inner workings of the drill.

"Wow, it's a lot thicker in person than it is in the plans," Sokka said. "We're gonna have to work pretty hard to cut through that," he said.

"Why include yourself when it's Gohan, Aang, and I that are gonna do all the work?" Katara asked.

"Look, I'm the plan guy, and you guys are the destroy things with bending guys," Sokka replied. "Together, we're Team Avatar!" he declared.

A loud metallic sound cut through the area. The looked and saw that Gohan bent one brace with a single kick. He then proceeded to melt the metal at the bend so the bottom and top would be separate.

"That's a cool name, Sokka," Gohan complimented. 'I wonder if we'll do poses and stuff,' he thought as he turned to his friends.

"Thanks." Sokka felt pride in the name he chose for them.

"Aang, Katara, you two cut through as many as you can. Don't cut all the way through. You'll tire yourself out. I'll come back and finish them," Gohan told the two benders.

"Or we could just cut through halfway and I can go to the top of this thing and deliver a final blow!" Aang said.

"That's a great idea," Gohan said. "It's a plan, we should follow it," he said, turning away. He jumped from the platform they were on to another one and started a process of destroying the braces.

He took down twenty before he stopped at the familiar feeling that was Azula got near. He turned in time to dodged a stream of blue fire by rolling out of the way.

He looked up to see Azula looking down to him. She was frowning but her eyes betrayed the true emotion she was feeling. He saw that her friends Mai and Ty Lee were at her side. Both having their usual looks of on their faces.

Azula saw that his path of destruction started from behind her. So it was safe to say that his friends would be in that direction.

"You two go after the Avatar," Azula ordered Mai and Ty Lee, pointing behind her while keeping her gaze fixed on Gohan.

Before Gohan could respond, she leapt at him as her friends took off in the opposite direction. The half-Saiyan moved out of the way and let her land nimbly where he once stood.

He could've easily made the first move by trying to sweep her feet from under her, but he hesitated for a moment.

"Why are you trying to capture me?" he asked, not even going into his stance.

"What gave you that impression?" She inquired tersely.

"Well, why else would you send two non-benders after the Avatar and send you, the most powerful of your group, after me?" he asked. "I mean, unless you think I'm the strongest amongst my team, and that you have faith in their success," he said.

"You have more of a brain than I thought," Azula answered, letting him know that he was on the right track.

"You have no idea," he smiled.

A few seconds of her staring at him passed by before she shot fire at him. This time with far more precision and viscous intent.

Gohan dodged or dispersed her attacks, not dealing out his own as he jumped from platform to platform back towards his friends.

He miscalculated in his step when she jumped at him quickly, making him slip and fall backwards. He instinctively tried to fly before Azula grabbed the front of his shirt in an attempt to catch him.

Heavier than she thought, she was pulled forward by his weight and they were both falling.

She somehow wound up underneath him, facing downward as they plummeted down from fifty feet up. She felt his arms wrap around her, keeping her from saving herself. She was surprised by the definition in his arms. Then again, she never felt a guy's arms before.

But all that wouldn't matter anymore because he was surely about to use her as a cushion. She tried wriggling her way out of his iron grip but he was too strong. Fear gripped her before she realized she was facing up, no longer going to be crushed.

Gohan spun around with Azula in his arms to protect her, not knowing that she was fully capable of saving herself. He crashed into the metal below them.

He released Azula from her his hold and she immediately sprang to her feet before shooting fire at his face. He barely rolled out of the way before flipping to his feet.

He continued to dodge her attacks, leading her away so she wouldn't be in the drill when it burst open. When they reached the hole he and his friends entered, he made it seem like he fell again. She jumped down after him.

Gohan could sense Katara and Sokka behind him, and Toph in front of him as Azula jumped down after him. He ducked under the kick she aimed for his head before kicking her out from under the drill, knocking the air out of her.

She landed on her back and tried getting the air back into her body when Gohan stopped next to her. She shot fire at him before he could even open his mouth. He wasn't surprised, but he didn't react quick enough to avoid the blue flame from engulfing him.

Azula, at first, smiled, finally believing that she rid herself of him. But then she frowned, and for the first time, regretted her action. She looked away, not wanting to see his charred body.

"Wow, that was a close one," Gohan said, having redirected the flames around him.

She looked up at him, relieved to see that he was perfectly fine.

"You burnt my clothes," he said, looking down at himself. He grabbed his shirt and tore what remained off with a simple tug, revealing his sculpted torso and arms.

Azula tried not to stare at him, she wanted to send fire at him instead. But her eyes were drawn to the scars that littered his chest and arms.

"So, are we gonna continue or what?" Gohan asked, dropping into a stance. Frowning, she started at him, continuing where they left off.

* * *

><p>Above, Aang had just finished cutting a deep 'X' into the top of the drill. Now all he needed was one of the dozens of rocks being hurled from the top of the wall to the drill.<p>

'Just what I need,' Aang thought, using Earthbending to grab a rock that landed next to him and putting it on the cut he made. He cut off pieces of it so it would fit the shape perfectly. He was sure to keep the top of the rock rounded for the next part of his plan.

With that done, he turned and ran up the wall with the use of his Airbending. He got about halfway up the wall before turning on heel, like a jet, he ran all the way down the wall, building up air pressure until he slammed down on the rock. The resulting impact crippled the drill, making it buckle and all the support beams inside snap, breaking it down.

With the slurry being backed up behind the drill by Toph and Katara, the drill busted at its sides, spewing slurry everywhere.

* * *

><p>Gohan turned, spitting slurry out of his mouth. It covered him head to toe in, drenching him completely. He looked up and saw that Azula was covered in it, too. He laughed, making her scowl even though he couldn't see it.<p>

"I don't see what is humorous about this, you're covered in it as well," Azula said bitterly.

"I don't mind," Gohan replied. "It's not like it's the end of the world," he said. "But your plan has been ruined." He pointed to the drill. "I could take you to be arrested, but I'd rather not," he said, turning around. "Leave while you still can." He started walking away.

"You would just turn your back on your enemy?" Azula spat, starting a flame in her hand.

"Call me crazy," Gohan started, stopping to look back at her. "But I don't really consider you my enemy even though you could strike me down right now," he said. "I know you won't, because you don't want to. That, or you can't because the Fire Nation wants me alive," he laughed sheepishly, noticing that her flame had dissipated.

"Come with me," she requested, not pleadingly. "You're just prolonging the inevitable."

"Maybe, but I'd rather take my chances in evading you," he said. "It's actually kinda fun," he said, walking away. "See ya later, Princess?" he called over his shoulder as he began running away from her.

* * *

><p>The five members of Team Avatar - so Sokka dubbed the as - stood on the wall, watching the sun set in the distance.<p>

Gohan had sensed Azula and the other two girls traveling away and was glad to know that she took his advice and left. It would be a real shame to see the Earth Kingdom try to execute her for war crimes or something.

"You know, I just want say: good job out there, Team Avatar," Sokka said, gesturing to everyone.

The hybrid looked to the older boy. He found the prospect of a team name cool. It reminded him of the Ginyu Force at times.

"Enough with the 'Team Avatar' stuff," Katara told Sokka. "No matter how many times you say it, it's never gonna catch on," she said.

"Oh, don't be a downer, Katara." Gohan smiled, crossing his arms behind his head. "I think a team name would be pretty cool," he said.

"Yeah… the 'BoomerAang Squad'," Sokka said, pulling out his favorite weapon. "See, it's great because it has 'Aang' in it," he said.

"I kind like that one," Aang told Katara.

"Let's talk about this when we enter the city," Katara suggested.

"The Avatar Group?" Sokka suggested, ignoring Katara.

"How about the 'Elemental Force'?" Gohan asked Sokka. "Oh, I know, how about the 'Avatar's Warrior Squadron?" he chuckled.

"The 'Ferocious Five'?" Sokka suggested, laughing with his friend. "The Aang Gang?"

"How about… the 'Gaang'?" Gohan suggested, looking to see Sokka's reaction.

"Hey, that's not half bad," Sokka said. "Simple, catchy, manly, and it's got a nice ring to it."

And so the five heroes decided to discuss the issue further once they were settled in the city. With the drill crisis diverted, they could now give important information to the King, and spend time looking for Appa.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay, I'm gonna end it here simply because… I don't know. Now, there are some things you should all know before continuing to read:<strong>

**One: I am not the Masenko56 you all know. Previously, that was my sister. Now it is I, her younger brother. She is going through some problems and now I'm taking control of both her stories. But fear not, I know the direction this story is going in very well so you don't have to worry about something major being changed.**

**Two: some of you might ask why Gohan can't easily find Appa. The answer to that is simple; it's because Appa doesn't have a huge energy or one that is easy to detect in largely populated areas. You might argue and say that "How is Appa's energy level not large if he's able to fly and support the weight of several people?" Well, that's because Appa doesn't use energy to fly. He controls the air currents surrounding him and uses it to carry him. **

**And that's pretty much it. Note: a little less than half of this chapter was completed before I finished it. Just to let you know in case you see something a little different in writing style or something. **


	15. Chapter 15: The Big City

The Gaang had spent the night in one of the medical centers on the outer wall. It wasn't the most pleasant place to ever sleep, but it was better than the refugee camp at the bottom of the wall. Now they sat in a man powered train headed into Ba Sing Se.

Gohan sat with Sokka and Toph on one side, across from Aang and Katara. Toph was between he and Sokka.

"You know, I believe things are gonna get better," Gohan said, feeling really optimistic.

"I see the inner wall," Katara said, smiling in excitement. "I can't believe we finally made it to Ba Sing Se safely."

"Hey, don't jinx it," Sokka said. "We could still be attacked by some Fire Nation exploding spoon." He gestured with his hands. "Or we could find out the city is infested with man-eating shrimp!"

"Have you been hitting the cactus juice again?" Toph asked.

"Yeah, do you expect that to happen, Sokka?" Gohan asked.

"Hey, I'm just sayin'; weird stuff happen to us," he said.

"I guess we should expect the unexpected?" Gohan asked, looking up.

"Don't worry, we'll find Appa," Katara said at Aang's saddened face.

"It's a big city," Aang said sadly.

"C'mon, where could a giant bison possibly hide?" Sokka asked as they passed through the inner wall, showing them all the vastness of the city.

'Whoa,' Gohan thought, looking around.

With his keen eyes, he was able to spot several different possible locations Appa could be; wide buildings with a lot of area around it. A barn, perhaps.

Standing, he waited for Katara and Toph to exit before stepping off the train. He looked around, noting how oddly dressed they may have seemed to some.

"Great. Back in the city," Toph said, lacking enthusiasm.

Gohan looked at her. She was the only one of them that looked fitting for this city.

"What's wrong with that?" Sokka asked. "It's amazing," he said.

"Nothing's amazing about a bunch of walls and rules," Toph said. "Watch, you'll get sick of it soon," she said.

Gohan covered his ears when Aang blew on the bison whistle. He turned away, pain evident in his features. As the train began moving, he saw a woman smiling in cheshire-like manner at them from the other side of the tracks.

"I know Appa is here," Aang said, looking out to the city.

When the train was gone, the woman approached, gaining the attention of the rest of the group.

"Hello," she greeted, the smile still on her face. "I am Joo Dee and have been given the great honor of showing the Avatar around Ba Sing Se," she told them. "And you must be Gohan, Sokka, Katara, and Toph." She nodded to each, the smile never leaving her face. "Welcome to our wonderful city, is there anything I can help you with?" she asked.

"Yes," Sokka answered immediately. "We have information about the Fire Nation army that we need to deliver to the Earth King immediately," he told her, clutching the bag to his chest.

"Great," Joo Dee continued smiling. "We'll begin our tour and then I'll show you to your temporary housing," she said, ignoring Sokka's statement as though he never said it. "I'm sure you'll like it." She turned, expecting them to follow.

"Ugh." Sokka grunted. "Maybe she missed what I said," he suggested, looking from his friends to the woman as they started after Joo Dee. "We have information about the war that is important," he told her.

"You're in Ba Sing Se, now; everyone is safe here," she said.

The youngsters all looked appalled. Was she purposely ignoring them?

"Hey, maybe you didn't get the memo," Gohan said, moving forward. "But there was a drill that almost made it through the wall. If it weren't for us, no-one would be safe," he told her.

"Everyone is safe in Ba Sing Se," Joo Dee said, turning and walking forward.

'Something isn't right,' Gohan thought. 'Nobody would ever act like this.'

He watched Joo Dee closely, silently observing her for any abnormalities as she droned on about the city. Of course, being naturally curious as he was, he still listened to the long lesson.

The house they were to stay at looked nice enough. But Joo Dee didn't leave after taking them there. She insisted on being with them because to leave would make her bad host.

On the plus side, their request to see the Earth King was being processed. On the other side, they had to wait six to eight weeks for it to be completed. Faster than usual, as Joo Dee put it.

They went to a pet market where they asked to know where one would buy stolen animals; the black market. It was there that Gohan, with peripheral vision, noticed Joo Dee shaking her head 'No' as the man was answering, making him tell them it was illegal before telling them to leave.

They then asked around if anyone knew of any Sandbenders, and Gohan, again, saw Joo Dee shake her head 'No.'

Now they stood on the steps of their house, as Joo Dee was about to take off in the carriage from earlier.

"I'm sorry no-one has seen your bison. Why don't you get some rest? Someone will be over with dinner, later," she said, being taken away.

As the carriage left, in a house across from their own, they saw a man peeking at them from behind a door.

"Hey, come with me." Sokka began walking forward. Reaching the house, he knocked on it. Seconds later, the man opened it with a bright smile on his face.

"You're the Avatar," he said to Aang. "Heard you were in town. I'm Pong," he said.

"It's nice to meet you, Pong," Aang replied, smiling.

"Let's cut to the chase," Sokka said, crossing his arms. "Pong, why is everyone here afraid to talk about the war?" he asked.

"War? Scared? What do you mean?" Pong asked, diverting his eyes.

"I can feel you trembling," Toph said blandly.

"Look, I'm just a minor government official. I've waited three years to get this house, I don't want to get into any trouble," Pong said.

"How would you get into trouble?" Gohan asked.

"Sh, Sh, don't mention the war here," he said. "And whatever you do, stay away from the Dai Li," Pong said, looking around for any prying eyes or ears before closing the door.

"That settles it," Gohan said, already drawn to a conclusion. He walked over to their house and entered it, waiting for the others to follow before closing it.

"What have you got?" Sokka asked.

"Alright, at the pet shop, and when we asked that university student, I saw Joo Dee signal for them not say anything by shaking her head," Gohan started. "She's intentionally trying to keep us in the dark about the war," he said, sitting down. "And with what Pong just told us, I'm guessing it's the Dai Li's doing," he told them.

"Are you sure, that's very little to go on," Katara said.

"And what was all that about not being able to see the Earth King for a month?" Gohan asked. "This is the Avatar." He pointed to Aang.

"And what about not being able to mention the war here?" Sokka asked.

"That's simple; either the Earth King doesn't want anyone to mention it to avoid causing panic - which is highly unlikely considering that some people already know about it, or the Earth King himself doesn't know and the Dai Li or something else is trying to keep it from him," Gohan explained.

Everyone was quiet with the latest revelation. Could it truly be possible?

"That would also explain why Joo Dee dodged all of our questions or statements concerning the war," Gohan added.

"What do we do?" Katara asked.

"I'm not sure," Gohan admitted, looking up. "I guess we have to wait this out until we meet the Earth King," he said.

"Right."

* * *

><p>And so they had to wait. But not for long; Katara found a way for them to meet with the Earth King the next evening when she walked outside the house.<p>

"I know how we're going to meet the Earth King," Katara said, drawing all eyes to her. She was holding an invitation. "He's having a party tonight for his pet bear," she told them.

"Platypus-bear?" Aang asked.

"No, it just says 'bear'." Katara answered.

"Surely you mean his pet skunk-bear," Sokka said from the floor.

"Or his armadillo-bear?" Toph suggested.

"Gopher-bear?"

"Just 'Bear.'" Katara said, shrugging.

"This place… is weird," Toph said.

"The palace will be packed; we can sneak in with the crowd," Katara said.

"Won't work." Toph leaned onto her back, bluntly shooting Katara's plan down as she crossed her feet up.

"Why not?" Katara asked.

"Well, no offense to you simple country folk, but a real society crowd will spot you a mile away; you've got no manners," Toph said.

"Excuse me?" Katara placed her hands on her hips. "I have no manners? You're not lady fancy fingers yourself," Katara said.

Toph belched. "I've learned proper society behavior and chose to leave it behind. You've never learned anything," she said. "And frankly, it's a little too late," she added, picking her nose.

"Yeah, but you learned it." Sokka propped himself on his elbow to face her. "You can teach us," he said.

Yeah, I'm mastering every element; how hard could manners be?" Aang asked.

"Katara might be able to pull it off," Toph said, standing. "But you two would be lucky to pass as bust boys," she said towards Aang and Sokka.

Gohan didn't know if he should be relieved or not when Toph didn't mention him. To be honest, he didn't want to go to the party; he want exactly a party person, formal or not. He just didn't do well in those types of environments.

* * *

><p>Azula of the Fire Nation contemplated Son Gohan's words to her from their previous encounter.<p>

'Fun,' she thought bitterly, riding in a tundra tank to the closest Fire Nation colony. 'Does he think this is a game?' she asked herself.

"'I don't really consider you my enemy even though you could strike me down right now. I know you won't, because you don't want to. That, or you can't because the Fire Nation wants me alive."'

She tried to convince herself that it was because she couldn't, but the more she reflected on the moment, the more realized it was because she didn't want to. And that made her experience mixed feelings. On one side, she hated him even more for that; but, she also just wanted him safe and near her, on the other side. Not to mention the confusion for why she wanted that.

These conflicted emotions were taking their toll on her, but she was well at hiding it all. No-one suspected a thing, not even Ty Lee.

* * *

><p>Gohan sat with Sokka and Aang, playing a game he found akin to that of 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' as the girls got ready.<p>

"Fire!"

"Earth!"

"Water!"

"Ugh!" Sokka growled, earning a flick from both younger boys.

Gohan chuckled lightly, preparing for another round when the girls walked. They were finally dressed with the hair done and makeup on their faces.

"Wow, you look beautiful," Aang commented, blushing. Sokka reach over and flicked the Avatar.

"Yeah, really great," Gohan said, earning himself a flick from Sokka that he didn't even feel.

"-Don't talk to the commoners, Katara; the first rule of society," Toph said, stopping the older girl from speaking.

"We'll get into the party and find away for you to enter through the side gate," Katara said, walking away with Toph.

The boys walked after a few minutes of waiting. They arrived at an abandoned ally and waited for the girls to let them in.

It was during this wait that Gohan sensed something - someone! Zuko!

"Uh, guys, I'm gonna go check something out," he said, looking away. "Just finish without me," he said, jumping onto a nearby roof before they could respond.

He leapt from top to top until he reached the wall that dived the upper ring from the middle. With ease, he jumped onto it, over it, and landing loudly in an alley. He quickly jumped to another building before continuing his dash towards the Fire Nation Prince.

He stopped on a roof top that overlooked a fight between Zuko and Jet. Both were using swords. There was a crowd of people around, and Gohan saw Iroh among them.

"I bet you would like to use one of the fire blast right now," Jet said.

Gohan crouched, eyeing the fight closely.

"You're the one that needs help," Zuko said.

Gohan saw Zuko slash for Jet's throat. He was tempted to jump in, but Jet was handling his own.

The sword clashing lasted for a few more minutes before Gohan saw Dai Li agents arrive.

"Enough," one of the agents said.

"Arrest them!" Jet pointed to Zuko and Iroh. "They're Firebenders," he accused.

"This poor boy's confused," Iroh said, denying the accusation. "We're just simple refugees," he said.

Gohan's eyes narrowed. 'He's lying,' he thought.

"This young man barged into my tea shop, and assaulted my employees," the manager of the store explained.

'Employees?' Gohan thought, looking closer at Zuko. The Prince was wearing Earth Kingdom clothes with an apron over them. 'Could it be true?' he asked himself as another man vouched for the manager.

"This young man attacked the finest tea maker in the city."

"Awe, that's very sweet," Iroh said, blushing.

"Come with us, son." Two Dai Li agents walked forward.

Jet tried swing his weapons back at the closest one. The agent caught it with ease. They then gripped Jet by the arms and dragged him away.

"You don't understand, they're Fire Nation! You've got to believe me," Jet pleaded.

But it was too late, they put him in a carriage and shipped him off immediately.

Gohan stayed a while after that, watching as the people that were watching the conflict leave.

"Please, take the rest of the night off," the manager said, looking towards Zuko and Iroh.

"Thank you." Iroh bowed at the waist, joined by Zuko. They then started walking away. Gohan followed them from the rooftops until the two entered a house.

'Zuko and his uncle are in the city,' he thought, frowning. 'Why? Why are they here? Did they turn over a new leaf? Are they no longer evil?' These thoughts swirled through his mind as he sat in, deep in concentration.

He looked deeply into their feelings and could feel that Iroh was truly free of malicious intent. But Zuko - Zuko he could feel a lot of confusion inside. Like he wasn't sure anymore. But it was a good thing because the evilness he felt before was no longer there.

'If they're truly here to better their lives, they deserve a second chance,' he thought, standing to leave. He felt that maybe they could be allies in the future.

That night, when his friends were done filling him in on what had happened at the party, Gohan did not tell them of Zuko or Iroh. He didn't want his friends provoking Zuko during this time of renewal.

**(AN: I'm sure we can all agreed that episode 15 and episode 16 are episodes we can skip, right? I mean, unless you want to know about Appa's lost days and what every member of the Gaang did one day). **

In the few weeks that followed, Gohan and Aang really cracked down on finding Appa. The Saiyan once felt a faint trace of Appa's energy signature, but it instantly got cluttered in with the rest of the people and animals of Ba Sing Se.

The Saiyan sighed, taking the quill in his hand and dipping it in ink. The whole problem with Appa was really starting to grate his nerves. What with Aang asking if he could sense every other day, and everyone in the city acting clueless, it would've drive him mad if he was a normal person.

He was currently drawing a picture of Appa for the posters Aang wanted to put up around the city. He had made the full-body view of both sides, the front, and behind Appa in just over an hour.

He looked up and over at Toph. She was sitting on the floor, tracing her fingers over the floor where Gohan had made small indents, followed by Toph making them rise with her Earthbending. He had started her off with learning the alphabet and numbers one through ten. It took some time, but she could now do the first half of the alphabet.

Smiling, Gohan looked over to see Katara talking with Aang about finding a printer to make copies of the posters. He then turned and saw Sokka starting on his own sketches of Appa.

Shaking his head in silent humor, Gohan went back to completing his own drawings. He finished after putting on some minor details and gave them to the eagerly waiting Aang.

"These are amazing, Gohan," Katara commented, looking over Aang's shoulder at the papers.

"Gohan, thank you so much," Aang said, bowing thankfully to teen.

"It's no problem." Gohan smiled. "Now go and get them printed so everyone can know," he said. With that, Aang and Katara took off out of the house.

* * *

><p>Hours later, they had successfully managed to get all of the posters successfully distributed across the city by Aang while everyone else stayed at the house. When Aang returned, Joo Dee arrived and told them that they were not permitted to pass them out and that they needed to abide by the rules of Ba Sing Se. That's when Aang blew up on her - figuratively - and told her that they wouldn't be following their rules anymore.<p>

With his power pole on his back, Gohan left with the others into the city to put up even more printed out posters; breaking the law!

They had split up to cover more ground, but were all drawn to the source of Katara fighting someone. They all met up in a alley where they saw Katara keeping Jet pinned to a wall with shards of ice.

"Katara, what's wrong?" Sokka asked before everyone saw the ex-leader of the Freedom Fighters.

"Jet's back," Katara answered scornfully. "And we can't trust anything that he says," she warned.

"Why? We don't even know why he's here," Sokka said, quick to Jet's defense despite the fact he was the one that didn't trust Jet when they first met.

"I don't care why he's here," she said angrily.

"I'm here to help you find Appa," Jet said, showing them a poster of Appa that he had.

"Katara, we have to give him a chance," Aang said.

"I swear I've changed," Jet said. "I was a troubled person and I let me anger get out of control," he said. "I don't even have the gang now," he told her. "I've put all that behind me."

"You're lying," Katara accused.

"Katara," Gohan started, walking forward. His mind had been racing the moment he felt Jet's energy. He was wondering what the Dai Li did to him, but shrugged it off as them giving him a slap on the wrist - in simple terms. "Despite what kind of past you have with this guy, he deserves a second chance if he can help find Appa," he told her, removing the ice shards one by one. "Besides, I can feel no deception in him."

"Gohan's right, Jet's not lying," Toph said, her hand coming off a wall.

"How can you tell?" Sokka asked.

"When people lie, there's a physical reaction. I could feel his breathing and heart rate," Toph explained. "He's not lying."

"Katara, we don't have any leads." Aang looked to the Waterbender. "If Jet says he could take us to Appa, we have to trust him," he said.

"Fine," Katara sighed. "But we're not letting you out of our sight," she said.

* * *

><p>Jet led them to an old, empty warehouse.<p>

"This is the place I heard about," Jet told them, leading them in.

"There's nothing here," Aang said, disappointed.

"Actually," Gohan cut in quickly, sniffing the air. He walked around for a moment before he picked up a clump of Appa's fur.

"Appa was here!" Aang exclaimed, walking over. "But we missed him," he said somberly.

"They took that big thing out of here, yesterday." An old man that was sweeping, walked by, sweeping. "Shipped him off to some island," he said. "'Bout time. I've been cleaning up fur and various… leavings all day," he sighed.

'Something's not right.' Gohan frowned.

"What island? Where's Appa?" Aang asked, running over to the man.

"Former said they took him to Whaletail island and sold him to some rich circus conductor," the senior citizen answered.

"We've got to get there!" Aang looked to his friends as the man rambled about why they would send him to the island. "How far is it?" he asked Sokka, who had taken out a map.

"Not good," Sokka sighed. "The island is far - very far," he said. "It's near the South Pole, almost all the way back home," he said.

"There's no need for that," Gohan said. "Appa wasn't here," he told them.

"The evidence was there." Sokka said.

"No," Gohan denied. "That was just a piece that was brought here to lure us off track. Trust me, if Appa was here, he would've left a greater smell," he explained, looking to the old man. "You said you have been cleaning all day, but if that were true, I'd be able to smell the 'various leavings' you spoke of because there are no cleaning materials in this world that would allow you to completely get rid of the smell. But I can tell you weren't lying. And you." He turned to Jet. "You said two men told you about a large animal that was here; you were also not lying, but what you both said was obviously not true," he said, frowning a little.

His friends just watched in confusion until Gohan continued:

"Jet, what did the Dai Li do to you when they took you away?" Gohan asked, shocking his friends.

"The Dai Li arrested you?" Katara asked.

"What? No! He's crazy." He pointed to Gohan.

"They must have brainwashed you or something," Gohan said.

"They're both telling the truth," Toph supplied.

"How is that possible?" Sokka asked.

"It's like I said; he must've been brainwashed," Gohan told them.

Jet then started running away.

"After him." They took off after Jet.

Gohan easily caught up and grabbed the man before pinning him to the ground.

"Good job, Gohan," Sokka complimented when he and the others caught up. "That's what happens when you run from Team Avatar," he told Jet.

"Jet!"

Gohan stood with Jet to see two people running towards them. It was Smellerbee and Long-Shot.

"I thought you said you didn't have your gang?" Katara said accusingly when Gohan released Jet.

"I- I don't," he said, moving a foot away from the Saiyan.

"Jet, we were so worried about you." The girl member of the Freedom Fighters hugged her ex-leader. "How did you get away from the Dai Li?" she asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jet said, sweating.

"We saw you get arrested by the Dai Li a couple weeks ago," Smellerbee said. "We saw them drag him away," she told everyone.

"Why would I be arrested? I've been living peacefully in the city." Jet gestured around.

"You only think that because you were brainwashed," Gohan said.

"Stay away from me." Jet began moving away, only to be surrounded by everyone.

* * *

><p>To get to the truth, the teens took Jet to a hideout - Long-Shot's house.<p>

"The Dai Li must've sent Jet to lure us off course, like you said, Gohan," Katara said, her arms crossed.

"This must be that Long Tooth guy's doing," Gohan said, accidentally messing up Long Feng's name. "I bet he has Appa," he told Aang.

"Maybe he's in the same place they took Jet," Aang suggested, looking to said boy. "Where did they take you?" he asked.

"They didn't take me anywhere," Jet defended. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said.

"We need to figure out a way to jog his memories," Aang said.

"Maybe Katara could kiss him," Sokka said comically. "That should bring something back," he said, crossing his arms and looking smugly towards his sister.

"Maybe you should kiss him, Sokka." Katara glared, casting a side glance to the Saiyan. Gohan was not fazed.

"Hey, just an idea." Sokka held his arms up in defense, still looking amused.

"Yeah, a bad one," Aang said dully.

"Maybe not so much," Gohan said. "In this case, something like that could work if it was strong part of his memories," he explained. "Hey, it's just an option on the table. We have to do anything to find Appa," he said at Katara's glare.

"You said something that was a strong part of his memories would probably work?" Smellerbee asked Gohan.

"Theoretically, it should." Gohan nodded.

"Think of the Fire Nation. Remember what they did to your family." Smellerbee looked to Jet.

"No!" Jet lurched forward, remembering a bad memory. "It's too painful," he said.

"Let me try something," Katara said, moving over to be behind Jet. She pulled water from her bag flask and tried healing his mind.

Gohan watched as Jet seemed to have a dawning realization.

"They took me to a headquarters," Jet began explaining. "Under a lake," he sighed, the name of the lake escaping him.

"Lake Laogai?" Gohan asked, remembering the lake Joo Dee mentioned.

"That's it!" Jet stood abruptly. "Lake Laogai."

* * *

><p>The eight teens set out on foot to the lake. It was located nearby so it wouldn't take long. While they were walking, Gohan sensed Zuko nearby as well. He could only wonder what the Fire Nation Prince would do.<p>

They arrived at the lake, but saw no entrance to an underground headquarters.

"There's a tunnel over here," Toph said, walking towards the shore. With a simple Earthbending move, she revealed said tunnel.

They all started towards a manhole that was now visible. Again, Toph Earthbent the earth, revealing an entrance to them.

One by one, they each jumped down, discreetly, making no sound.

Gohan sensed that Appa was not in the immediate area, but didn't expand to different areas as it would distract him from the closer energies.

They walked to a large door where Jet expected to find Appa. They saw that there was another door across the way and started towards it.

Gohan noticed all too soon that they were surrounded when Long Feng and the Dai Li popped out in front Professor them.

"You have made yourselves enemy of the state," Long Feng said in a monotone. "Take them into custody," he ordered the Earthbenders around him.

Immediately, several Dai Li agents dropped from the ceiling to the floor around them, circling them.

Gohan pulled out his power pole and destroyed two rock gloves that were sent at him as Toph destroyed two more.

A battle broke out. During the battle, Long Feng ran away, prompting Aang and Jet to follow.

Gohan stayed behind with the others to dispatch of the Dai Lo agents around him.

It didn't take long for him to quickly finish things up and start towards Jet and Aang with the others in tow. They arrived in time to see Long Feng escaping while Aang knelt beside a downed Jet.

Katara was the first to Jet's side, immediately trying to heal him. "This isn't good," she said.

Gohan reached for his trusty bag of Senzus, only to discover that he left them hidden away back at the house.

"You guys go and find Appa, we'll take care of Jet," Smellerbee said, urging them to go on.

"We're not gonna leave you," Katara said.

"There's no time," Long-Shot spoke for the first time. "Just go, we'll take care of him; he's our leader," he said.

"Don't worry, Katara," Jet said, looking to Katara. He had a dull look in his eyes. "I'll be fine," he said, lying.

"Gohan, do you have your Senzu?" Katara asked, standing up.

"I'm sorry," Gohan sighed. "I didn't bring them," he told her.

Saddened, the five began walking away, knowing well that Jet was about to die.

They walked over to the further most door and opened. There were shackles that obviously were meant for Appa discarded in the center of the room.

"Long Feng beat u-"

"I sense Appa," Gohan cut Aang off. "Let's go," he ordered, running towards the exit.

Once out, Toph sealed off the exit, temporarily blocking the Dai Li agents that began chasing them.

"Start blowing on your bison whistle, Aang," Gohan ordered, running in the opposite direction he sensed Dai Li agents.

"Right," Aang obliged, inhaling deeply before blowing into the whistle.

Gohan covered his ears, grinning when he felt the bison quickly approaching. He halted, turning to see the enemy. Long Feng and his agents began chasing them in that direction when they saw them. There were at least twenty of them in a line, blocking their path. The teens put up a defense, waiting to see if the Dai Li would attack.

Then, Appa swooped in and blasted the Dai Li away with a powerful gust of wind from his huge tail. Only Long Feng remained standing because he sunk his feet into the ground when he saw the bison.

"Please, I can handle you on my own," the Grand Secretariat said, slipping into an Earthbending stance. He slid forward, attempting to kick Appa.

Angrily, the large mammal bit down on Long's leg before sending him out over the lake with a mighty throw.

"Haha!" Gohan cheered as Aang ran towards the bison. They all ran soon after, laughing as they hugged the flying bison. 'I knew Zuko would have a change of heart,' he thought, the only conclusion he could come to when he thought about how Appa was freed.

Climbing onto Appa, he smiled. 'If only Azula could change,' he thought, surprising himself a little.

Finally, after weeks of searching, they reunited with Appa. It was a very happy moment. Maybe things would be turning around for them.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This was a short chapter, I know. That's because there wasn't really much to tell. The next chapter should be up some time next week. Then, the stunning finale will be up some time after that. <strong>


	16. Chapter 16: True Power Is Near

The reunited family of friends all soared on Appa from a small island in the lake on the recently found Appa. It was really like a dream come true. There was relief from everyone in the group, none more than Aang though. Gohan came in a close second, glad to know that searching for the Bison wouldn't cloud his daily routine.

Said Saiyan now gripped Appa's fur as he rested on his rear, staring down at the lake as the sun set. 'This feeling… why do I feel like things are only gonna get worse?' he asked himself.

He had a smile on his face and the was a reason for why he was smiling was Azula. He could feel her getting closer and closer to the walled city.

He was wondering why she was coming, but summed it up to her trying to get in Ba Sing Se again. But she was only with Mai and Ty Lee, which confused him. He furrowed his brow in thought and looked to his friends. They were also on Appa, on their way to inform the Earth King about the state of events. That had been decided a short while earlier while they were at a small island in the lake.

"What's wrong, Gohan?" Katara asked, Sokka, Aang, and Toph all looking to him as well.

"Nothing to be worried about," the Saiyan answered. "I'm just glad things are going our way, for once, in this city," he said over the rush of wind.

"And it will get a whole lot better when the Earth King knows of everything," Sokka said, smiling towards his best friend.

Gohan just nodded in agreement. He could be wrong, maybe things would only get better instead of worse.

He was a little skeptical about that when they were suddenly attacked by Earth Kingdom soldiers!

"What was that!" Toph asked, shaken a bit after Sokka cried in shock.

"We're under attack! Surface to air rocks!" Sokka exclaimed. "More incoming!" he added in panic, looking of to the side.

Aang's skill with flying Appa was superb. He easily avoided all them, even going as far as to destroy some with Airbending or Earthbending if they got too close.

The closer they got to the castle, the better they saw that soldiers were waiting for an opportunity to attack them. Seeing this, Aang sprang from Appa and hit the ground, creating a wave of rocks that sent the soldiers back.

Gohan was next to leap from Appa, followed by the others. He took stride next to Aang towards the palace. He immediately pulled out his power pole and prepared for a battle.

They were running down a path towards the palace with lamppost on each side that had a post every fifteen feet. When they started to get far, soldiers came and lined the path and prepared to send their attacks at the youngsters.

Aang and Toph leapt ahead and started blocking the attacks with Earthbending and kept this up while Katara and Gohan knocked-out the soldiers they passed by.

When they finished with that, they looked forward and saw that there was a large number of soldiers approaching from the front.

Toph, with practiced ease, shot her arms out and flipped the rock under the soldiers, trapping them under the upside down slabs of rock.

"Sorry, we just need to get by to see the Earth King," Katara apologized as they ran past the men.

Gohan halted in his run when he sensed two groups of soldiers coming from behind. He twirled the power pole around, making it extend before hitting the first row of both groups. They were either knocked out or too dazed to get back up after that.

He then jutted it out, hitting the first man of a row and continuing until he forced all the men behind onto the ground. With one more swoop, he grounded the rest before letting the magic pole retract.

Turning, he saw his friends already starting up the stairs with Aang and Toph using Earthbending to slide a large rock up, carrying everyone to the palace entrance.

Gohan ran to the base of the stair and saw that the stairs weren't stairs any longer and that soldiers were sliding down from the top. With ease, he hopped from the ground to near the rock his friends were, and then once more onto the rock.

Katara, reacting from panic, smacked the Saiyan in the face with a water whip.

"Ow!" Gohan brought his hands to his forehead, trying to stop the pain. "What was that for, Katara!?" he complained.

"Gohan, I'm so sorry!" Katara apologized frantically. "W-wait, where did you come from?" she asked. Then her eyes caught sight of the unconscious soldiers away from the base of the stairs.

Upon reaching the top, Toph and Aang quickly dispatched of two different groups before they continued forward.

"That way!" Sokka pointed ahead.

They reached a four-way crossing where soldiers were waiting for them.

Toph stomped once and brought both arms up, sending each soldier to the ceiling. They were instantly knocked unconscious.

"Gohan, which way to the Earth King?" Sokka asked.

"That way!" Gohan said, sensing where Long Feng and several Dai Li agents were gathered by one energy signature.

Still fighting off soldiers, they made their way down a wide and long corridor that led to two, huge, green and gold doors that screamed royalty.

"Hey, that's a nice-looking door," Sokka commented as Toph finished the last of the soldiers. "It must lead to the Earth King," he said, suddenly sprinting towards it.

Gohan, Katara, and Aang, watched as Sokka jumped at the door, intending to kick it down with his strength. The kick, of course, was proven to be ineffective, provided that Sokka wasn't strong enough to knock it down. That's when Aang and Toph blasted it off its hinges with ease.

The five ran in, immediately faced with the Earth King, five Dai Li agents, and Long Feng.

"We need to talk to you," Aang said, projecting his voice.

"They're here to overthrow you," Long said, pointing to them, lying through his teeth.

"No, we're on your side, we're here to help," Sokka said.

"You have to trust us," Katara said.

Standing abruptly, a frown on his face, the Earth King said:

"You invade my palace, lay waste to all my guards, break down my fancy door, and you expect me to trust you?"

The look on his face said it all; complete disbelief and mistrust.

"He has a point," Toph said silently.

"If you are on my side, then lower your weapons and stand down!" Earth King said.

The young ones shared a look before simultaneously dropping their weapons and relaxing from their stances.

"See? We're friends your Earthiness," Aang said weakly, smiling.

Gohan saw through it the whole time. As soon as Aang finished, Long Feng gave the command and the Dai Li shot their rock-gloves at them.

Gohan saw them coming, he reacted like he normally would and turned sideways as his friends' wrists were suddenly bound together.

He turned on heel, preparing to strike, but was pulled underground to where only his hands and head were above ground.

"Detain them," Long Feng ordered.

The Dai Li agents slid forward, sliding behind the five of them a moment later.

"But we dropped our weapons." Sokka looked betrayed. "We're your allies!" he said.

"Make sure the Avatar and his friends never see sunlight, again," Long Feng said coldly, surprising the King.

"The Avatar?" The Royal repeated. "You're the Avatar?" he pointed to Sokka.

"No, him." Sokka nodded towards Aang.

"What does it matter, your Highness?" Long Feng asked. "They're enemies of the state," he said.

"Perhaps you're right,"the King sighed, looking over as his pet, Bosco, licked Aang in the face. "…Bosco seems to like him; I'll hear hear what he has to say," he said.

Aang walked forward, not missing this chance. "Well, Sir, theirs a war going on right now - for the past one-hundred years in fact; the Dai Li's kept it secret from you. It's a conspiracy to control the city and to control you," he said.

"A secret war?" Kuei uttered in disbelief. "That's crazy!" he said.

"Completely," Long Feng agreed.

"Long Feng didn't want us to tell you, so he stole our sky bison to blackmail us." Aang gestured to the evil man. "And blackmail is the least of his crimes. He brainwashed our friend!"

"All lies." Long Feng turned to the Earth King. "I've never even seen a sky bison, your majesty, and frankly, I thought they were extinct," he said, turning briefly to look away.

"Your claim is hard to believe, even from an Avatar," Kuei said, sitting on his thrown and clasping his hands under his chin in thought.

Long Feng leaned in, whispering into the King's ear. "These hooligans are part of an anarchist cell that my agents have been tracking for weeks. If you listen to them, you're playing right into your own demise."

"That's a lie!" Gohan exclaimed, breaking from his hold. "We aren't anarchist, we're trying to end the war!" he said, his face getting angry. "I don't understand why you people don't want to help!" He pointed to Long Feng.

Dai Li agents quickly moved to apprehend him, one coming from the left and the other from the right. He quickly kicked back and up, hitting the fist, to his right, on the chin. He moved too fast for the other guy to comprehend and sent him to the ground with a chop to the neck.

"Your world is at war and all you care about is keeping control of the city!" Gohan continued, almost growling. "Did you not get the memo that the Fire Nation almost entered the city not one month ago!" he snapped, catching rock gloves that were sent at him.

Long Feng was getting increasingly worried. There wasn't much information he had on the teen other than some gibberish about him being a spirit that destroyed the Fire Nation at the North Pole. But now that Long Feng saw the Saiyan in person, he began wondering if that gibberish was actually truthful.

"It's the same nearly everywhere; people only care about themselves. But what if the Fire Nation actually managed to break into the city? It was only due to my friends and I that they didn't, but what if they succeeded? Were you going to throw rocks at them!?" Gohan crushed the rock gloves that were still in his hands. "And you!" Gohan pointed to the king. "If we were really here to overthrow you, we would've done it!" He stomped, cracking the floor beneath him.

"Who are you?!" Kuei asked, his eyes wide.

"I'm a friend, despite the lies he's fed you," Gohan said calmly, glaring at Long Feng.

"He spews nothing but lies!" Long Feng accused, keeping calm even though he was sweating a little.

"He's the liar," Sokka said, speaking up to help his friend. "We can prove that he's lying," he said. "Long Feng says he's never seen a sky bison; ask him to lift his robes," he said.

"What? I am not disrobing." Long Feng looked appalled.

Sokka looked to Aang, nodding his head in an unspoken message.

The Avatar replied by inhaling a lot of air and then blowing it out, creating a gust of wind that lifted Long Feng's robe and revealed a bite mark from Appa.

"Right there! That's where Appa bit him!" Aang said, giddy.

"Never met a sky bison, huh?" Sokka said smugly, crossing his arms.

"That happens to be a very large birthmark- thanks for showing everyone." Long Feng brushed his robe back down.

"There… is no way to prove where those marks came from," Kuei said hesitantly. The words spoken by Gohan were deep and compelling, making him doubt Long Feng a little.

"But there is!" Sokka exclaimed.

"I'll go get Appa," Gohan said, running to get the beast. He returned moments later, bringing Appa close to Kuei to show the shape of Appa's teeth and the shape of the bite mark on Long Feng.

"That settles it," Kuei said after a while. "But… that doesn't prove the conspiracy is real," he said before they could cheer. "But I suppose this is a matter worth looking in to," he said.

Gohan watched as the Dai Li and Long Feng walked away. His eyes narrowed. 'Knowing him, he'll probably try to cover his tracks,' he thought, referring to Long Feng.

"We'll take you to Lake Laogai," Sokka said.

"No," Gohan interjected before any other plans could be made. "I don't doubt that Long Feng will try and cover his tracks. They will get rid of that secret base under the lake. It was made from rock, easy to get rid of by Earthbenders. But the drill… that is made of metal, and it was huge, hard to completely hide," he said.

"And where is this drill you speak of?" The Earth King asked.

"The outer wall," Aang answered.

"Are you kidding me!? No Earth King has ever been to the outer wall?!" Kuei said.

"Can you be the first? The truth is in front of that wall," Gohan said.

"And if you say yes, we'll let you ride on Appa," Sokka said, hopping that it was an appealing offer.

The Earth King smiled.

* * *

><p>Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee were standing near three ostrich-horses that were going to transport them to Ba Sing Se. All three of them were wearing clothing that belonged to the Kyoshi Warriors they defeated days ago.<p>

The Princess could feel it. It as in him - Son Gohan. He was still in the city and could undoubtably feel her the way she could feel him. She needed a plan to make sure this was the last time she'd go to Ba Sing Se.

"Mai, Ty Lee, when we get to Ba Sing Se, there may be a slight change of plans," Azula said, staring out in the direction of Ba Sing Se.

"What do you mean, Azula?" Ty Lee asked, cheerful as always. "No- wait, don't tell me." She began scrunching her nose in thought. "It's because of that boy, isn't it?" she asked, a knowing smile on her face.

"Yes, it has everything to do with Son Gohan," Azula said, narrowing her eyes at the older girl.

"Ooo, I knew it. And he's cute,"Ty Lee said.

"Like I was saying," Azula cut in, frowning. "If we encounter him, we must fool him into believing we have switched sides," she said.

"Sure thing, Azula," Ty Lee chirped.

"Okay, sounds easy," Mai said, bored as usual.

"Good, now we must not fail," Azula added. "Failure would mean to disgrace the Fire Nation," she told them icily, letting them know that if they failed, it could quite possibly mean death.

Both nodded in understanding.

With that out of the way, they got on the ostrich-horses, ready to finish the ride to Ba Sing Se.

* * *

><p>The Gaang, the Earth King, and a few soldiers peered over the edge of the outer-wall.<p>

"Now you know the truth," Gohan said, feeling the Dai Li and Long Feng approaching.

"I can hardly believe it," the King admitted sadly, shaking his head. "War," he sighed.

There was a clogging sound and then the Grand Secretariat appeared with the Dai Li.

"I can explain this, your majesty," Long Feng tried to lie. "This is nothing more than a construction pr-"

"Enough lies, the truth is already out. The Earth King knows everything," Gohan said, irritated for the first time since coming to this world.

There was silence, a cold stare from the Gaang, Earth King, and soldiers that was directed at Long Feng.

"Surely you don't believe these children over your most trusted adviser?" Long Feng tried saving face.

…

"Dai Li, arrest Long Feng," Kuei started, frowning. "I want him to stand trial for crimes against the Earth Kingdom," he said.

There was subliminal eye-contact between the two agents behind Long Feng before both captured his rest in metal cuffs.

"You can't arrest me! You all need me more than you know!" Long Feng desperately tried talking his way out of this one.

"Looks like Long Feng is 'Long Gone'!" Sokka laughed obnoxiously. "Oh, I've been waiting to use that one," he said, wiping an imaginary tear away.

"Good riddance," Gohan muttered, still upset about this whole situation.

The trip back to the palace was quiet. It was only so because they were giving the Earth King time to fully process the information.

When they finally reached the palace, it was starting to get dark, and they went straight to the throne room.

"I want to thank you… for opening my eyes, young heroes," Kuei said, sitting in his throne. "All this time, what I thought was a great metropolis, was nothing more than a city of fools," he sighed. "And that makes me the King Fool."

Gohan felt bad for the man. He was manipulated throughout his entire life. It was sad.

"We're at war… with the Fire Nation." Kuei put his head in his hands.

"And that's why we came to Ba Sing Se, your Highness. We believe that you can help us end the war," Sokka said, stepping forward.

"There's not much time. There's a comet coming this summer, and it's power will give the Firebenders unbelievable strength!" Aang said. "They'll be unstoppable."

"But there is hope," Sokka said. "Before the comet, there will be a solar eclipse that will render the Fire Nation practically defenseless," he said.

"What are you suggesting?" Kuei asked.

"That's the day we need to invade the Fire Nation," Sokka answered. "The Day of Black Sun."

"I'm not too sure," Kuei sighed, briefly looking away. "That would require moving troops out of Ba Sing Se; we'd be completely vulnerable," he said, gesturing with his hands to emphasize the words.

"But what you don't realize, is that you're already vulnerable," Gohan said.

"The Fire Nation won't stop until Ba Sing Se falls," Sokka said.

"And if we don't take this opportunity, the Fire Nation will use the power from the comet to take down Ba Sing Se," Gohan supplemented.

"So you can either sit back and wait for that to happen, or you can take the offensive and give yourself a fighting chance," Sokka finished.

The Earth King looked thoughtful, truly contemplating this. "Very well, I'll help," he said after a moment.

There were cheers from the group of friends. Gohan turned and hugged Toph before hugging Sokka and Katara.

"We did it!" Aang cheered, riding around on an air-scooter.

"Your Majesty," a voice called out through the celebrations. The Gaang looked behind them to see a General walking over. "I'm sorry to interrupt." He bowed to the king.

"This is General How, he is the leader of the Council of Five, my highest ranking Generals," Kuei said.

"We searched Long Feng's office," General How said. "I think we found something that will interest everybody," he said

The Gaang spared each other curious glances before shrugging. They followed General How and the Earth King to Long Feng's office.

Now they stood at the side of Long Feng's desk with General How next to them, and Kuei sitting in the chair.

"There are secret files on everyone in Ba Sing Se," General How said. "Including you kids," he said, looking down to them.

"Secret files?" Aang repeated.

"Toph Bei Fong," Kuei said the girl's name after reaching in and grabbing the first letter. He handed it to Toph, who handed it to Katara.

"It's a letter from your mom," Katara said, reading it. "Your mom's here in the city, and she wants to see you, Toph," she said.

"Long Feng intercepted out letters from home?" Toph asked. "That's just sad," she said.

"This scroll was attached to the horn of your bison when the Dai Li captured it," General How said when Kuei handed them to Aang.

"It's from the Eastern Air Temple," Aang said, smiling lightly.

"Is there a letter for me and Sokka, by any chance?" Katara asked.

The Earth King looked through the box thoroughly before looking to her. "I'm afraid not," he said.

"Oh."

"But there is an intelligence report that might interest you," General How said, handing it over to Katara.

"A small fleet of Water Tribe ships," Katara read.

"What? That could be Dad," Sokka said.

"Protecting the mouth of Chameleon Bay, l-led by Hakoda - that is Dad!" Katara cheered.

Gohan smiled, happy to see his friends happy. Like expected, he didn't get anything, but that wasn't a problem.

"We'll give you time," Kuei said, leaving with General How.

The five youngsters sat in a circle, all still happy from the latest news that they received.

"I can't believe it. There's a man living at the Eastern Air Temple. He says he's a Guru," Aang said.

"Like the guy from Gohan's story?" Aang asked, picturing it.

"No, he's a spiritual expert. He wants to help me take the next step in the Avatar Journey," Aang said. "He says he can teach me to control the Avatar State, and-" he gasped, his eyes widening upon reading the next part. "He says he can help my friend being back a power long missed," he said.

Gohan's eyes enlarged before an even larger smile grew on his face. "He can help me return to the way I was?" he asked.

"If you get your powers back, you can end the war!" Sokka exclaimed. "Just a little Kaboom-Blast-Swish!" He gestured with his hands.

Gohan nodded, still smiling. "This is great," he said. "You now know where your dad is." He looked to Sokka and Katara. "The Guru wants to help us." He pointed from himself to Aang. "And your mom is in the city," he told Toph.

"And from the sound of her letter, she finally understands me," Toph said, holding the scroll close.

"This is all good news, where do we even start?" Sokka asked.

"I hate to say it," Katara said. "But we have to split up."

"Split up? W-we just found Appa and got the family back together," Aang said, affronted. "Now you want us to separate?" he asked.

"It's the only way. You two have to meet the Guru, Aang. If we're going to invade the Fire Nation, you need to be ready," Katara said.

"Well, if we're going to the Eastern Air Temple, we can drop you off at Chameleon Bay to see your dad," Aang offered.

"But someone has to stay here with the Earth King and help him plan for the invasion," Sokka said, standing. "I guess that'll be me."

"No, Sokka, I know how badly you want to help dad." Katara stood. "You go, I'll stay here with the king" she said.

"You… are the nicest… sister… ever!" Sokka told her, hugging her and giving her a kiss on the cheek after a goofy little dance.

"Easy there, big brother." Katara pushed him away, lightly. "But you're right, I am," she said.

Later that night, Gohan stared up at the ceiling, thinking about random things. It was getting pretty late and it was time to go to bed, but he wasn't tired enough to sleep. He was, admittedly, still a little excited about the prospect of getting his powers back.

'_But what will happen if I get them back?'_ he asked._ 'Will those so-called "Gods" take them away again.' _

The mere thought of that happening made him visibly upset.

"Gohan?"

He sat up and saw his friends eyeing him warily. "Hey, what's up?" he asked.

"Well, we wanted to make sure you were alright," Sokka said.

"You blew up back then," Aang said. "On Long Feng," he clarified.

"We've never seen you… so angry," Katara added.

"It was kinda scary," Toph told him.

"Sorry," the Saiyan sighed. "I just don't understand how people could be like Long Feng," he said. Before he came here, he never met anyone that would jeopardize the fate of the world for their own selfish gain, except Vegeta but the Prince has changed since then. Other than that, he had no idea humans could be so evil. "I mean, why would Long Feng basically betray the entire planet by neglecting the duty to do everything he can to end the war?" he asked. "But it wasn't just Long Feng; those villagers back at the town where they had 'Avatar Day' were the same. Is it not that horrible?"

"It is," Sokka answered.

Gohan turned away after that. Having given his explanation, he was left thinking about the world and how it should be more like his own world. Peaceful. That's the way the world should be, but it wasn't.

* * *

><p>The next morning, before. The others woke up, Gohan quickly got to his feet, startled by Azula's presence close by. He looked to Toph, she had woken up from his sudden movement.<p>

"What's wrong, Manners?" Toph asked, groggily rubbing her eyes.

Gohan would've laughed at the nickname, but he had to see what Azula was doing here. He saw that everyone was still sleep, in no condition to fight. Besides, there was only Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee. He could handle it.

"Go back to sleep, Toph," he said, looking back to her. "I'll handle it," he said. He looked around for his shoes before giving up on that and just grabbing his power pole and starting towards the door. "I'll be back," he said, leaving the house. Once outside, he cupped his hands around his mouth. "Nimbus!" he called for the the cloud, waiting patiently for it to arrive.

When it came soaring in, he jumped onto it and let it carry him away.

"That way, Nimbus," he pointed East.

Azula nearly lost face when she suddenly felt the feeling between herself and Gohan intensify. He was getting close, and fast, too.

"Girls, remember what I said," she warned, slowing down her ostrich-horse.

"Huh, of course I remember," Ty Lee said, slowing her ostrich-horses' pace to match Azula's.

"Hey, what's that thing in the sky?" Mai asked, looking at a growing dot in the sky. Azula and Ty Lee both followed her line of sight.

Seconds later, that dot turned into a yellow and black dots, and then into a person on a yellow dot. And when it got close, they saw that it was Son Gohan on a yellow cloud.

"What are you doing here?" Gohan asked, getting straight to the point. "Wait- why are you wearing that?" He pointed to their ensemble.

The girls were still looking at the cloud he was sitting on, shocked at what they were seeing.

"Oh, geez, I guess you've never seen Nimbus," Gohan laughed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Wow!" Ty Lee suddenly exclaimed moving close to touch the cloud.

Gohan was only a little surprised when the girl's hand didn't stay on the cloud. Despite her bubbly cheerful demeanor, she must have done something the Nimbus cloud seamed as unworthy.

"B-but, how?" Ty Lee asked, trying to poke the cloud but failing.

"It's a magical cloud that only allows those with pure hearts to ride it," Gohan said. "Basically people that are always good," he said. "And it's the only one that exists here," he said

"Oh," Ty Lee said, remembering a time when…

"What are you three doing here?" Gohan asked, letting his legs dangle off the side of the cloud.

"We…" Azula started, getting her wits together. The flying cloud shocked her, but now it was time to execute her plan. "We have found the errors in our old ways and are now only seeking to atone for our past deeds," she said, feigning sincerity.

Gohan stared her in the eyes, searching them for any hint of deception. And she looked into his for any shimmer of belief. But his remained observant.

"I don't believe that," Gohan said, sliding off the cloud. "I think you're lying, but I can't tell," he admitted.

Like a ton of bricks, a new emotion ripped from inside of Azula, making her face falter. He… didn't believe her? It hurt, but she didn't know why. She felt betrayed in that moment, and from him of all people. Azula by know means is a sensitive girl, but she couldn't help but feel the way she did right now.

Gohan saw the look in her eyes and his own chest started aching. It felt like he just said something he shouldn't have. "Wait, maybe I'm wrong," he said. "Everyone deserves a second chance, after all. I mean, I hardly know you, for all I know, you could be telling the truth."

Azula was silent, still looking at him.

"I'll trust you," he sighed. "I told you that I didn't consider you an enemy, but if you betray my trust, that will no longer be true," he said.

Azula nodded, internally smirking. "I promise… you won't regret this," she said, carefully leaving any deception from her voice. It was easy to say this because she planned on showing him the glory of the Fire Nation when she brought Ba Sing Se to its knees. When he saw, he would not regret it.

"Okay." Gohan grinned, extending to hernia hand. "It's great to have you on our side," he said, taking her hand in his. The warm touch made her blush, though it couldn't be seen. "You two, too," he said, smiling to Mai and Ty Lee. "It's amazing to think that Suki would let you join the Kyoshi Warriors. How'd that happen?" he asked.

"We met the other girls in the woods and fought them," Azula answered. "They overwhelmed us with their numbers and had us ready for execution. They spared us thanks to Ty Lee's crying, and gave us a chance to start a new life," she lied.

"That's nice, I guess," Gohan said, feeling a little awkward. "I- uh, well, I'm surprised you three are here, but since your now an ally, I guess I'll be seeing you around." He waved sitting back on the cloud. "Oh, and I know why you get that feeling in your chest whenever I get close," he said, actually shocking her. "I'll tell you all about it when I return."

He sat on Nimbus for a while before letting it take him away. He hoped that this didn't come back to bite him, but something - presumably the bond between he and Azula - clouded his judgment a little. He was only going out on a limb because when he got to the Eastern Air Temple, he'd figure out to get his powers back, and then return to take care of business.

Before he left, he didn't catch the smirk Azula had at her successful ruse.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: That's it for this chapter. It was intended to be put up two days ago, but I was trying to stop someone from committing suicide. Seriously, she was a friend of a friend but since he couldn't find the right words to talk to her, I started to. The conversation lasted a few hours before I felt like I was getting through to her. She said she wouldn't do anything to harm herself, so I went to sleep. Further talking did not exist because she hasn't responded to me since then. I only got around to finishing this chapter because there's no point in worrying about things you have no control over.<strong>

**I'll try to put up the next chapter by a week, give or take a day or two.**

**Also, to those of you who always complain about his powers, chill-out. It's far too late for you to complain about it, the story is already on its course. Seriously, I'm not the person that came up with the idea for it, it was my sister. **

**Rest assured, after this story is finished, I'll start my own story with people keeping their power at what it is at that point in time. I was thinking something along the lines of:**

**"Vegeta, I expect this mission to be completed in only a day or two. And I'll have you know that I won't tolerate any escape plans anymore, is that clear?" **

**"Yes, Master Freeza." **

**"Good."**

**"Why are you doing this?!"**

**"Because… Freeza is still stronger."**

**Of course, I could always do something different with a different character, but, eh? That's in the future. **


	17. Chapter 17: Career, Ended

"Yeah! Men only man trip!" Sokka cheered once he, Aang, and Gohan were finally airborne.

Gohan simply smiled as Sokka slung an arm over his shoulders. "It's going great," he said. "With my powers, I can end the war," he told them. He noticed that Aang frowned. "And then you could return the world to peace, Aang," he said.

Aang still seemed upset about something. The Saiyan shrugged, believing it was dispersing the Gaang that was the problem.

Friendly conversation ensued for hours more. After dropping off Sokka, the mood got a little worse. Gohan tried sparking conversations with Aang but the Avatar never replied with anything resembling the want to talk.

This continued well until they reached the Eastern Air Temple.

They arrived near the temple at a meditation shrine where the Guru was meditating, waiting their arrival.

"Hello?" Aang called out to the man.

"You're Guru Pathik, right? The one that attached the note to Appa's horn?" Aang asked, walking closer with Gohan.

"I was a spiritual brother of your people, and a personal friend of Monk Gyatso," Pathik told them.

"In your note, you said you can teach me to gain control of the Avatar State, and how he can unlock his powers," Aang said, sitting down, followed by Gohan. "How can you do this?" he asked.

"You must first gain balance within yourself, before you can bring balance to the world. And the first step to gaining balance is this." Pathik held out two bowls filled with onion and banana juice.

Gohan took his and sniffed it before gulping it down, ready to know what else he'd have to do to get his powers back.

"Sppfft!" Aang spat his out when he tasted it. "It taste like onion and banana juice," he complained.

"That's because it is," Pathik said, pulling out a third bowl and drinking himself some.

"Guru, if you don't mind me asking, but how did you know about me and my powers?" Gohan asked.

"Ah, yes, it came to me in a vision that I would help you regain what you have lost," Pathik said.

"And how will you help get my powers back?" Gohan asked.

"It will take time, but once you are at balance in yourself, the power you've acquired here will drain from your body, leaving only a container that needs to be refilled with your other energy," Pathik told him.

Gohan's mouth formed an 'O' shape as he waited for the next part.

"Now, follow me," Pathik requested.

* * *

><p>She never had guilt for anything in her life. She was the Princess and she could do whatever she wanted - within reason - whenever she wanted, but something was troubling her. The fact that she had lied to Gohan made her heart twinge. She hated that.<p>

Why does he have to affect her in such a way? She had dabbled in the possibility that she liked him, but she had discarded that as the reason when he told her that he knew why she got the way she did around him. She didn't deny the fact that she favored him over any of the opposite gender; in fact, she wouldn't be bothered by the prospect of spending the rest of her days with him, but she was relieved to know that her feelings weren't the problem.

Part of her wanted to postpone her conquering of Ba Sing Se to hear out what he had to say when he returned from wherever he went, but the other part, the Princess part, kept hold of her plans, refusing to budge even an inch,

'I don't even know very much about him,' Azula thought, sitting in a chair away from Mai and Ty Lee.

"Azula, what did Gohan mean when he said he knew-"

"That is none of your business," Azula said sharply, not wanting anyone to know about how she felt.

"You make it seem like you have a crush on him or something," Mai said, a small, mischievous smile pulling on her lips.

"Azula! You love him?" Ty Lee asked, completely taking Mai's words to the extreme.

"I do not like him," Azula lied, easily as always. "And, no, I do not love him," she said, frowning from Mai to Ty Lee. The sad and hurt look Ty Lee she received made her sigh. "Look, it's just not for you to know about," she said.

"Okay," Ty Lee replied, still a little disappointed.

…

"Do you at least think he's cute?" Ty Lee asked, returning to her cheerful self.

"No, I don't think he's 'cute'," Azula said. She didn't think anything was cute.

"Oh, okay," Ty Lee replied.

With the pesky questions out of the way, Azula began thinking of what she would say to get the Dai Li under her control.

* * *

><p>Gohan and Aang were listening to Patik's lesson. The Guru has been explaining the chakras that were in one's body, and about how their were seven of them in total.<p>

Now the three sat in a meditative position together in a cove, a little fog blanketing the ground.

"Know that you can not stop opening the Chakras until you're finished," Pathik told them in a warning tone.

"I'll do whatever it takes," Aang said, nodding in sync with Gohan.

"Good. The first Chakra is the Earth Chakra, located at the base of the spine. It deals with survival, and is blocked by fear," Pathik said.

Gohan closed his eyes, listening to his rhythmic beating as the Guru continued:

"What are you most afraid of? Let your fear become clear to you."

Immediately, in his mind, Gohan saw images of his mother, brother, and Piccolo being killed by some horrible monster. It was like the dreams he had before the Cell Games but worse because it would've been his fault for not being there. It replayed a couple of times in his head, a slightly different scenario each time.

The Saiyan clenched his fists, anxiety filling him a little, he dimly heard Pathik speak:

"Your visions are not real, boys. You're afraid of your survival, Aang. You're afraid of losing your family, Gohan," Pathik told them. "You must surrender your fears. Let your fears flow down the creek," he advised.

This came easier to Aang than it did Gohan. This fear that the Saiyan had had been nagging him for quite some time now. He didn't want anything to happen to his friends and family - or the earth - while he was here; and, it only grew with each day of him being here. But he had to accept it. Surely Piccolo and Vegeta would intensify their training in his absence. Letting out a long shaky breath, the Saiyan nodded, opening his eyes.

"Congratulations, you've opened the Earth Chakra," Pathik told him, smiling.

Gohan nodded, looking to see Aang already standing. He was unaware that ten minutes had passed.

Pathik then led them to a side of the mountain, behind a waterfall. Again, the three took up a meditative stance.

"Next is the-"

"Water Chakra?" Aang cut Pathik off with his guess.

"Brilliant! Maybe one day you be a Guru, too," Pathik said, pointing to Aang. "This Chakra deals with pleasure, and is blocked by guilt. Now, look at all the guilt that burdens yourself," he said.

Immediately, memories of failing his father at the Cell Games came to mind. Then, it was the way his mother cried herself to sleep for months after. Then more crying after Goten was born. Because of his actions, his father was no more. He was told to not blame himself for that, but how could he not?

"My father, I disobeyed him, and he was killed because of it," Gohan spoke.

"Like Aang, you must accept the reality that these things happen. Do not let them cloud and poison your energy. If you are to have a positive influence on the world, you need to forgive yourself," Pathik said.

Could he forgive himself for that? Gohan knew no-one blamed him, but he still blamed himself. Then he remembered Goku's words to him up on Kami's lookout. His father told him he didn't blame him. A few moments passed before Gohan finally forgave himself.

"Very good," Pathik complimented.

The guru then took them to where they would open their Fire Chakra, a hot steam spring at opposite side of the mountain.

"Now is the Fire Chakra, located in the stomach," Patik said. "This Chakra deals with willpower, and is blocked by shame," he told them. "What are you ashamed of?" he asked.

Gohan had to think about this one. There wasn't really anything he was ashamed of. This time, his opened before Aang's. Moving on, next was the Chakra of the heart. It dealt with Love and was blocked by Grief. This one, Gohan opened at a similar time to Aang. He nearly she'd a tear, but kept strong. When this Chakra opened, the Sound Chakra opened. Gohan told no lasting lies, Chi Chi and Goku raised him not to.

He waited for Aang until the Avatar finished. Next was the Light Chakra, which dealt with insight and was blocked by illusion. This Chakra had to do with understanding the world and everything and how they were all connected.

Next, the final Chakra, was the Thought Chakra, located at the crown of the head. The three males sat atop of a temple, silently enjoying the nighttime air.

"Once you unlock this Chakra, Gohan, you will have to force this energy out of your body, leaving it as a container for your original energy to slowly fill up. It's a process that will take a full to complete - the filling up part, I mean," Patik told him.

Gohan nodded in understanding. A week was no big deal. With things being the way they are - Long Feng being thrown in jail, Azula and Zuko on the side of good, and Appa being back - he figured that one week of waiting wouldn't harm anyone.

"This Chakra deals with pure cosmic energy, and is blocked by earthly attachments," Pathik said. "Meditate on what attaches you to this world…"

Gohan began to think. For one, all of his friends, Appa and Momo… Azula. That brought a smile to his face.

"Now, let all of those attachments go. Simply let them flow down a river, forgotten," Pathik instructed.

Gohan hesitated for a moment. Let it go? Sure, he could do it. All he had to do was-

"What?" Aang questioned in panic. "Why would I let go of Katara? I… I-I love her," Aang said, stammering.

"I love Katara too, Aang," Gohan said, but not in the way he made it seem. "But when he says let her go, that doesn't necessarily mean you'll never have her again," he told the Avatar.

"Excellently said, Gohan," Pathik praised. "And Aang, you must learn to let her go, or you will not be able to allow the flow of pure cosmic energy course through your body," he said.

"Why would I choose 'Cosmic Energy' over Katara? How could it be a bad thing that I feel an attachment to her? Three Chakras ago, that was a good thing," Aang said, a mini rant of sorts.

"You must learn to let her go," Pathik said slowly.

Both Gohan and Aang closed their eyes. One had determination that could not be broken, while the other, he was wavering.

* * *

><p>Admiral Zhao was smirking. He was smirking because he managed to… persuade an Earthbender into tunneling under Ba Sing Se directly to the palace.<p>

"Y-you s-swear you'll let me and my family live?" the frazzled man asked, pausing in his Earthbending.

"Of course, I, Admiral Zhao, am a man of his word," Zhao said, his hand held out to light the cave. 'But they're all dead by now,' he internally snickered as the man continued.

Soon, the Admiral will be able to conquer Ba Sing Se from the inside. Starting with the palace. Surely the Fire Lord and Princess will be impressed when he slays the Avatar and treacherous Blue-Firebender-assuming both were still in the city. Even if they weren't in the city, he'd definitely get a promotion and praise when he took the city.

* * *

><p>Deep in meditation, Gohan appeared back inside his own mind. But, this time, instead of a pitch black environment, the area was a golden hue with a star-like surrounding.<p>

Looking around, Gohan saw a golden trail that led to-

"Auh?" the Saiyan gasped. It was him in his Super Saiyan Two form, behind the containment ball his powers were in.

Grinning, he began walking towards the container. Finally, he reached it and stopped. Reaching out, he half expected his hand to be zapped but it didn't; however, his hand went completely through without much hesitation. Then, the him that was on the inside grasped his hand and forced him inside.

Toe to toe with himself now.

"You have to force the Chakra out of your body," Guru Patik's voice rang through the area.

Gohan pulled out of Meditation to see Aang flying off with Appa.

"He… he's abandoned the seventh Chakra and is now going away," Patik explained.

"Why?" Gohan asked.

"Because… he can not let Katara go," Patik said.

Gohan watched Appa leave before he began cupping his hands at his side. There was no better way to exert all of his energy other than one ultimate attack that would push most - if not, all - of his energy out of his body.

"What are you doing?" Patik asked.

**"Ka… Me… Ha… Me… Ha!" **An inferno of blue flames wide as a house shot from his palms as he shot them up towards the sky. With his energy now depleted, Gohan stood, trying to get over the majority of his energy he just lost.

"Remarkable," Pathik commented.

Gohan held his hand out and pushed the last bit of energy out of him before sitting down again and assuming a meditative position again.

Entering his mind again, Gohan ran over to the bubble and was brought into it once more.

Everything about the Chakra's (their paths) were slowly starting to be pushed out of his body, allowing the Ki his body created to start slowly forming inside of him.

"You've done it!" Pathik patted him on the shoulder.

Gohan clenched his fists, feeling different already. He had a nearly nonexistent amount of Ki inside of him, but now he knew it would start building up.

"Thank you, now I gotta go catch up with Aang," Gohan said, cupping his hands at his mouth. "Nimbus!" he exclaimed.

Seconds later, the cloud arrived, stooping to his feet.

"Thank you, Guru Pathik," Gohan said, respectfully bowing before sitting on the cloud. "Now, Nimbus, let's go!" The magical cloud zoomed away, leaving Patik at the Eastern Air Temple.

It didn't take long for Gohan to catch up to Aang, who had just gotten Sokka from Chameleon Bay.

Sailing over the ocean with his hair whizzing back, Gohan jumped from the Nimbus cloud and on to the the Bison's back, startling Aang and Sokka.

"Gah!" Both Sokka and Aang exclaimed.

"G-Gohan! Where'd you come from!?" Aang asked.

"Nimbus," Gohan answered, sitting and grasping the fur on Appa. "Why'd you leave me back there, Aang?" he asked, frowning a little.

"Katara's in danger," Aang answered. "I saw it in a vision," he said.

"Oh, gosh," Gohan said, eyes wide. Then he froze. 'Azula,' he thought, actually hurt. 'There isn't a way this could be possible. Katara in danger when I believed Azula,' he mentally sighed. "I should've known better than… to trust her," he mumbled, looking away.

"Trust who?" Sokka asked.

"Azula," Gohan whispered the name, leaving a bitterness in his mouth.

"What?!" Both Aang and Sokka shouted.

"What do you mean?" Aang demanded, angry.

"She came to Ba Sing Se, telling me she changed her ways after a run in with the Kyoshi Warriors," Gohan sighed.

"What happened?" Sokka asked.

"She said the Kyoshi Warriors were going to kill them, but spared them when one of them started crying. She said they became friends and that Suki sent them to the city to protect it," Gohan explained, kicking himself for not realizing it was lie.

"You just let them into the city!? How could you do that!? Now it's your fault Katara's in danger!" Aang snapped.

"It's my fault," Gohan agreed, frowning at Aang. "But she looked like she was telling the truth, she's a really good liar," he said.

"Appa, yip-yip!" Aang commanded the Bison to fly faster.

Gohan looked away, disappointed.

* * *

><p>Upon nearing Ba Sing Se, the boys picked up Toph, who was on her way back to the city after being kidnapped.<p>

Gohan had been keeping tabs on Azula's energy and Katara's energy signature. The latter felt fine, no danger at all? But she felt irritated. Aside from that, nothing else. The Princess was around Mai, Ty Lee, and a handful of other energies. Then there was one Gohan was dimly familiar with, having only felt it a couple of times before. He couldn't place who it was, though.

"So how did it go with the Guru?" Toph suddenly asked. "Did you guys pass?"

"Uhh…" Aang began, looking away.

"Aang left before he could finish," Gohan answered. "I completed it, though," he said.

"Does that mean you have your powers back?" Toph asked, turning her head in his direction.

"Not yet, but my Ki is slowly building up," Gohan answered.

"How long will it take?" Toph asked.

"About a week," Gohan answered.

"Fly a little to the left, Katara is over there," Gohan told Aang. Flying over the Upper Ring, pointed down to where he sensed Katara. "She's somewhere under the palace," he said.

Aang followed instructions without answering, still a little miffed at the Saiyan.

Leaving Appa, the four started towards the castle when they saw a familiar person carrying a Dai Li agent towards the houses and apartments.

"Iroh," Gohan greeted first when Aang and Sokka exclaimed in shock.

"It's great to know you're well," Toph pointed our.

"I need your help," Iroh said, relieved to see the group. He dropped the Dai Li agent on floor in front of them. "Princess Azula is here in Ba Sin-"

"We know," Gohan said. "Sorry, but we're on our way to find our friend," he said.

"That's the thing; Azula has most likely captured her. She also captured my nephew," Iroh told them.

"Then we'll work together to save them," Aang said.

"Why do you have this guy?" Gohan asked, pointing to the man at their feet with a gag around his mouth.

"He knows something," Iroh replied, removing the cloth around the man's mouth.

"Azula and along Feng have organized a coup to overthrow the Earth King," the Dai Li agent immediately spilled the secrets.

Gohan frowned. So that's what Long Feng was truly like. He was a traitor.

* * *

><p>Admiral Zhao poked his head out of the cave the man led them to. It was a crystal catacomb beneath the palace.<p>

"What's this?" The Admiral asked, impatiently looking at the man.

"I-it's a mistake, easily rectified," the man stammered as he continued.

"It better be," Zhao sneered.

* * *

><p>The Gaang had split up after finding out about the underground city, Sokka and Toph left to warn the Earth Kingdom about the coup; whereas, Gohan, Iroh, and Aang tunneled down.<p>

It was quite, aside from the footsteps and light breathing that could be heard, all was quite. Aang didn't speak, Iroh didn't speak, and Gohan didn't speak. And the atmosphere was a little awkward. What with the slight anger Aang still harbored towards Gohan.

Finally, they reached an opening under the ground. There, they say crystals and crystal clear water around the natural rock formations.

"Katara and Zuko are over there," Gohan said, starting towards their direction.

"Excuse me, young man, but how do you know?" Iroh asked, curious.

"My name is Gohan, and I can sense their energy signatures," Gohan answered. "You know, the energy within," he clarified.

"Such a remarkable ability," Iroh said.

"Yeah, I guess it is," Gohan laughed sheepishly.

When the three reached a wall, Aang barreled through with earthbending, revealing Katara and Zuko behind it.

"Aang! Gohan!" Katara cheered, running towards her friends.

She hugged Gohan before hugging Aang while Iroh hugged Zuko.

"I knew you'd find me," Katara said, looking at Gohan.

"Aang did all the work." Gohan shrugged, looking to Zuko.

"Thank you, Aang," Katara said, hugging the monk once more.

"Uncle," Zuko suddenly spoke. "I don't understand, what are you doing with the Avatar?" he asked, pointing to Aang. "And him?" he pointed to Gohan.

"Saving you, that's what," Aang said smartly.

"Ugh!" Zuko grunted, starting forward.

"Zuko." Iroh stopped his nephew with a hand on his chest. "It's time we've talked," he said before looking back to the three heroes. "Go help your other friends. We'll catch up to you," he said.

Nodding, Gohan started back through the tunnel with Aang and Katara; only stopping when he felt Azula behind them.

While Aang and Katara kept running forward, Gohan stopped and pulled out his Power Pole. Turning, he stared as Azula sauntered into view.

"Azula," he greeted in an unfriendly manner. "You betrayed my trust," he said.

"Can't you see what I'm trying to do? I'm spreading the glory of the Fire Nation through conquering Ba Sing Se," Azula said, smiling. "I ask you to join me freely, my offer will always stand," she told him.

"I'll never join you, especially after you showed me that I can't trust you," he told her, slipping into a stance with his power pole. "I'm stopping you here and now.m," he said.

"Not with that stick," she said, slipping into her own stance.

* * *

><p>Admiral Zhao could hardly believe his luck when he and the man entered a clearing to see the Avatar and friend running across it.<p>

Chuckling, Zhao shot a ball if fire that made his presence known. Unfortunately, it was the man that brought him here that paid the price:

"Hello, Avatar," Zhao greeted, slowly clapping. "Today, I defeat you!" he exclaimed, leaping into the air and delivering some blasts.

Aang brought his arms up, creating a wall of rock that protected them. Admiral Zhao was admittedly the last person Aang and Katara expected to see. They all thought he died at the North Pole.

* * *

><p>Gohan soon realized that a tunnel was not the best place to try and utilize the power pole. He had struck the sides and ceiling numerous times, letting Azula land strikes him. He put the pole back in its sheath to fight her hand to hand.<p>

"What's the matter? No fire?" Azula mocked when he kicked her away.

"I can't," Gohan answered, jumping back to a few feet.

"Don't worry, you won't hurt me if you do," she said, smirking confidently.

"No, I actually can't Firebend anymore," he told her. "Let's just say I upgraded for something far more powerful." He shuffled back when she sent a thin stream of flames at him.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

Zuko appeared then, standing a few feet behind Azula.

"Zuko, don't worry, I can handle Azula," Gohan told the Prince. "Hey, where's Ir-oh!" He ducked under a orange fire-ball aimed for his head. "Awe, did you really switch sides again?" Gohan complained, now defending against twice the amount of the attacks.

"Darn, I really thought we could be friends," Gohan said, finally out of the tunnel. "But now I know what it's like to be betrayed and deceived." He pulled the power pole out once more.

"Don't be foolish, we can still be 'friends' if you join us," Azula told him.

Gohan's reply was cut off when he used the power pole to perry a punch from Zuko. He then used it to sweep his feet from under him before kicking him away.

The moment he did, he sensed the fight behind him. He spared a glance to see Aang and Katara fighting Admiral Zhao. Looking back, he saw Azula smirking.

"Would you look at that; a Firebender," Azula said, unable to make out who it was.

"It's three on three, and I'm taking on two of you," Gohan told her. "It's only a matter of time before Aang and Katara come help."

* * *

><p>Zhao, evaporating a wave of water from Katara, shot fire out of his hands at Aang. It was through the flames that he saw Princess Azula and Prince Zuko. For a moment, he thought the two were fighting each other, but then he saw the spiky-haired nuisance that always got in the way of his sweet dreams with the Princess. He was quickly blinded by rage.<p>

* * *

><p>Using his power pole, Gohan pushed Azula all the way to a wall. He then swung it up, intending catch her under her arm, but she moved and sent a ball of fire that engulfed him.<p>

Gohan sucked in air through his teeth, jumping back to save himself. Again, his shirt caught on fire: he quickly discarded it before frowning at Azula. Why did she always burn his shirt off? Well, not always, but this was the second time.

He was admittedly holding back, sure, but he couldn't bring himself to hurt her. Hopefully he could stall her until she was forced to retreat when Toph and Sokka arrived, if they arrived.

Suddenly, he flipped over a huge fire ball and looked back to see Admiral Zhao rushing at him with flames in both hands.

Before he could react, Azula shot a precise fire blast at the Admiral, making the man fall and skid to a halt in front of the two teens.

"Admiral Zhao, you've been wanted by the Fire Lord for months now," Azula said coolly. "Your useless raid of the Northern Water Tribe ended in failure, disgracing the Fire Nation," she snarled angrily, glaring at the man.

"P-Princess, please forgive me," Zhao pleaded, trying to get to his feet. "I came here to conquer Ba Sing Se," he said weakly when her glare intensified. She hated him. What did he do wrong? Where did he mess up? He felt his whole world crumbling. And for what reason? His eyes travelled to Gohan, who was watching the exchange warily. "You," he snarled, quickly jumping to his feet and pulling out a hidden knife from his armor and lunging at the Saiyan. "You made her hate me!" He brought the knife down.

Gohan, being so close, brought the power pole up in a sloppy defense. Zhao's hand crippled against the pole, making him drop the dagger before shooting fire at the boy, making Gohan release the pole to shield his face.

Unfortunately, his arms and hands were burned by this.

"You, it's your fault the Princess and I won't get married!" Zhao exclaimed.

Gohan jumped back, a shocked expression on his face. "You want to marry Azula?" he asked. Even Azula was taken aback. "But you're old," he said. Even Aang, Katara, and Zuko stopped fighting so they could see what was unfolding.

"Yes, I wanted to court the Princess," Zhao answered. "But that stupid prophecy turned out to be true, and you came along and ruined everything," he leered. "But then i realized that if you were gone, I'd once again be able to be with the Princess," he continued. "I threw my pride away back at the Northern Water Tribe so I could kill you. And you." He pointed from Gohan to Zuko. "Because when I kill you pesky children, there will be nothing in the way of becoming the next Fire Lord when the Princess becomes my woman. So prepare yourself, boy, you die!" He sprang forward, starting a series of attacks that were intended to maim and kill.

…

"Rah!" Zuko shot fire out in rapid session at Zuko and Katara, resuming the fighting.

Katara, seeing Azula start towards Gohan and Zhao, intercepted the Princess, pushing her over with water.

Azula reacted quickly, shooting fire from her feet before starting towards the Saiyan and Zhao again. But Katara shielded herself with a water bubble before lashing out once more, grabbing Azula by the ankle.

"Release me, peasant," Azula demanded. More paring to shoot fire from her right arm but was stopped when Katara vices water around that one too.

Aang, evading some of Zuko's attacks and sending out his own, jumped over a fire blast that was aimed at him; however, when he moved, the blast continued towards Katara, who had to release her hold on Azula to shield herself.

Aang ran around and created a vortex of air, threatening to pull Zuko and Azula in. But it was stopped when the Royal siblings shot dual blasts at him.

Katara, pulling out a large amount of water, sent a huge wave at them. But that was stopped by a Zhao crashing into the wave and being carried away by it into the stream nearby. Gohan had evaded the Admiral until he was literately backed into a corner. Then, he mule kicked the man across the rock field.

Katara, surprised by the sudden act, was unprepared for the fire blast that came from Azula. She barely had time to protect herself, but she managed to block the flames, but also was sent hurtling back. She hit a crystal very painfully before sliding down to the ground.

Aang tried fending off attacks from Zuko and Azula, but only succeeded in being smashed against the rocks a few times. He tried using earthbending to his favor, but was suddenly stopped by dozens of Dai Li agents dropping from above and surrounding the scattered heroes.

Several men began attacking Gohan immediately, hitting him over the head with their rock gloves many times. When he finally managed to start picking them off one-by-one, he stopped when a familiar white glow.

'Aang? He did it, he's in the Avatar State,' Gohan thought, confirming this with his energy sensing ability. He also sensed Azula up to something. When he saw it, she was charging up some sort of lightning attack. And by the looks of it, she was intending to maim or kill him.

His legs moving him forward without command, as Aang began to rise in the air, he doubled his effort when he jumped in the air, intending to push Aang out of the way.

* * *

><p>Time seemed to slow down for Katara in the next moment. One second, Gohan is sailing through the air towards Aang, then there was a flash, and in the next second, both Aang and Gohan were falling from the air. She watched in shock as they both began falling and her eyes began tearing up. Without waiting, she created a huge wave and used it to carry her to catch them; only, she couldn't catch both. She realized this too late when she landed with Aang a safe distance away and turned to see Gohan hit the cold, hard ground. She saw that everyone near where the Saiyan would've landed was washed Away, so she thought of rushing over to save him. For a second, she couldn't move, but when she began to, a second lightning attack hit Gohan, sending his body sailing through the air and ultimately to a stream, where he hit his head before falling in.<p>

* * *

><p>Azula saw it, but it was too late to do anything about it. She had gotten the Avatar, but that seriously didn't matter, because Gohan was also struck with lightning. Then when he began falling, she couldn't move to try and catch him when the Waterbending peasant moved in and caught the Avatar. She watched Gohan hit the ground, head first, crushing the ground. She was shocked - horrified - that her attack killed him, but then she saw him move his hand, groaning heavily. She was about to move to help him when another lightning blast hit him, sending him through the air and towards one of the deep pools of water. She cringed when he hit his head on the ledge before falling in. Without further hesitation, she ran towards the water, uncaring for those who were watching her prepare to save the boy.<p>

* * *

><p>Zhao couldn't help but cackle when he saw Gohan fall from the air. It was almost too good to be true. If it weren't for his limp body at the ground near the Avatar's, he wouldn't have believed it. Where did he learn this technique? Stolen scrolls from the Fire Nation of course. No-one knew that he acquired them. When he saw the boy move, he sent another lightning attack, this time sending his body flying through the air. Seeing his body move like a rag doll was too much for Zhao. He threw his head back and began roaring with laughter. He didn't see Azula rush to save his fallen enemy.<p>

* * *

><p>Azula, when she saw blood in the water, swam down. Gohan was slowly sinking to the bottom of the pool with blood seeping from the back of his skull. She grabbed his wrist and began pulling him up with all her strength. When she got to the surface, she was grateful to see Dai Li agents there. They immediately bent the ground, bringing both to level ground.<p>

A little panicked, Azula didn't know what to do. She had no prior experience treating wounds, and she cursed herself for not being prepared. She checked for a pulse and was glad to know it was there, but slow.

"You." Her commanding tone did not waver when she pointed to the closest agent. "Take him to get treated. Make haste. If he dies, you all die," she swore before turning her gaze to Zhao, who was still laughing. "Dai Li, arrest him," she ordered before looking back to Katara and Aang. There was still unfinished business.

Just when she and Zuko were nearing the peasant and slain Avatar, another traitor arrived. Iroh. He fended them off and allowed the peasant to escape with the Avatar's body. The Dai Li next arrested Iroh, who simply gave up.

* * *

><p>Katara had managed to pull Aang to above ground, where Sokka steering Appa found them.<p>

"Katara, what happened?" Sokka asked gravely, not sure he wanted the answer based off his sister's tears.

The question only seemed to make her tears stream faster as she positioned Aang on his stomach over her knees.

"Gohan… he," she began, sobbing a little. "He's-"

It didn't take further explanation for Sokka to understand what happened. He clenched his fists, looking away as tears began escaping his eyes.

"W-what happened to Gohan?" Toph asked in small voice.

"He was hit… with two lightning blasts," Katara finally managed to say. "He tried protecting Aang," she told them, pulling out her sacred water and using it to heal the Avatar.

"You're lying," Toph accused even though she couldn't feel the vibrations. Her sightless eyes began filling with tears.

"Wait, there's a chance that he may survive," Sokka said. "He has the Senzu Beans," he pointed out, wiping his tears away. "He's a warrior, he can't be killed by some lightning. He'll find us when he's better," he said, trying more to convince himself of this than the girls.

Katara nodded her head, watching as Aang's tattoos glowed bright for a moment. The heroes were left grief stricken as they soared through the sky on Appa.

* * *

><p>With the day's events finally over, Azula showed herself to the throne room. Once there, she sat in barely suppressed rage. She wanted to kill Zhao immediately, but knew her father wanted him to stand trial. She could kill him and say it was necessary for her own survival. Yeah, that's exactly what she would do.<p>

She also couldn't help but worry about Gohan. She was able to keep her worry hidden, but she wanted to know how he was doing.

Now Azula sat in the throne room with Zuko by her side. He was worried about what would happen when he returned home, but she hardly cared. She said what she knew would ease him.

"Zhao brought troops into the city, Mai and Ty Lee are making sure they take complete control of the city. I am going to go oversee this," Azula said, standing to leave.

Zuko nodded, still lost in his own thoughts.

She walked through the palace until she reached the medical wing.

In the white-walled room, she saw Gohan laying on a bed, still and subtly breathing. She walked over to the bed and looked down at him. His shirt was burnt in several parts, barely covering him. There was a golden bag tied to his waist, and the power pole's sheath on his back.

A little hesitantly, she reached out, intending to touch his face. She traced his cheek with her finger. He muttered something before his eyes opened, looking very droopy.

"… Azula," he softly called her name.

"Shush." Azula put her left index finger on his lips. 'If he's going to be doing better, he'll remember everything that happened today. That will not bode well,' she thought, leaving the room.

She saw two agents down the hall. "You two," she called over the two Dai Li agents behind her.

"Yes, Princess?" The two bowed.

"The Dai Li practiced brainwashing, correct?" Azula asked, a small smirk forming on her lips.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: … Don't like? Don't read. Also, complaints and praise are always welcome. But if you complain about the lightning, just PM me, I don't feel like explaining the reason in the section.<strong>


	18. Chapter 18: Brainwashed? Laughable!

Over the course of nearly two weeks, Azula personally tended to Gohan. She was surprised to learn how much care he needed, and when asked about why she took it upon herself to do such a task, she always responded by saying:

"The Fire Lord wants him in the best condition possible when we return the the Fire Nation. Why would I leave such a task to anyone but myself?"

It was the perfect lie to tell them, and they believed it. She honestly was doing it because she actually cared for him. She, of course, wasn't willing to let anyone know that bit of information. Of course, there was one thing she would not do for him so she'd have a servant do it for her (you know exactly what I'm referring to). Of course Azula would usually never dare to care for anyone, but this was a very, very rare case.

Now all she needed to do was wait for him to wake up so she could speak to him. She had some questions to ask him. Luckily, when the Dai Li brainwashed him, they took away everything that didn't relate to Azula, Firebending, his education, and motor skills, making him forget everything about Team Avatar and his past.

She only hoped that he was the same person he was before the brainwashing, as in, she hoped his personality didn't change. She was highly fond of it. That fondness made her like him more than she did anyone else.

* * *

><p>His head had a dull ache in it and he wondered exactly how he ended up wherever he was. Opening his eyes, he saw that his vision was a little blurry. Gohan saw only red for several moments as darker color began forming. He sat up on the bed he was on, rubbing his eyes. He felt that he was back to the power he was at before he came to this world. The confusion he had made the excitement for having his powers back feel less.<p>

It didn't take long for him to realize he was on a ship. He could smell the saltwater even from in the ship.

_'Man, what happened?'_ he asked himself, looking around. There was a Fire Nation insignia on a metal wall with other elaborate decorations. He was confused by this. Then he remembered. Everything from the moment he arrived at this world to date. He remembered the Dai Li trying to brainwash him while he was in a dazed state, telling him things - lies.

He frowned when he thought of Azula. Her scent was heavy in the room, along with his own. Then he felt her presence nearby. He looked behind him and saw her just waking up from sleep on a bed very close to the one he was on.

"Gohan, you're up," Azula said, surprised. "I was worried about you," she told him. She was able to switch into acting/lying mode easily. Though, that statement was sincere.

Gohan paused, thinking of what to say. He remembered the brainwashing the Dai Li tried putting him through. "Hey," he greeted as if it were a common thing. "This might sound odd, but… do you know what happened to me?" he asked.

"Whatever do you mean?" Azula asked, eyeing him calculatingly. She was excited to know that the brainwashing worked.

Gohan felt the excitement course through her, and frowned. "I don't remember what happened to me," he said.

"You were attacked by a traitor," Azula was quick to explain. "You survived two lightning bolts and and severe head trauma," she said. Gohan could see a hidden level of sadness in her eyes. "I guess your memories have been effected," she sighed, feigning a look of sadness.

"The people that tended your wounds said you're very lucky to be alive because no human could ever survive that," she said. "I've been taking care of you ever since then."

"Hehehe, I guess I'm lucky," Gohan laughed sheepishly. "…So, do you mind telling me where we are?" he asked, wanting to know where she was taking him.

"You're on a ship, back to the Fire Nation," Azula answered, a small smile on her face. "We're going home," she said.

"Home?" Gohan repeated. "The Fire Nation," he said. "I don't remember it," he told her. This was a great thing. Maybe he could defeat the Fire Lord. Yeah, a complete one man takedown of the Fire Nation!

"Then I'll tell you all about the memories you've forgotten," Azula suggested, moving closer to him.

"That'll be great," Gohan said, feeling a little nervous from being this close to her. He wasn't going to lie; the Fire Nation Princess was beautiful, and being this close to her made him feel a little anxious. Now he stared at Azula with a smile.

"When you first met me, you came to the Fire Nation because you were drawn to a feeling you had," Azula began with lies. "It's also a feeling I had," she said.

"I feel it now," he said.

Her lies were very believable, and he listened as she explained the war, knowing that it was all lies. She explained how herself, himself, Ty Lee, and Mai took down the Earth Kingdom with some help from Zuko. She even went as far as to tell him detailed profiles about Zuko, Ty Lee, and Mai - he was supposedly Mai's brother. "You were born to Han and Pai, in the year eighty-five ASC. You were a well-mannered, obedient son, that was well educated and sent to the - with Zuko. You two were good companions until Zuko was banished. After that, you simply stuck to school until your parents took yourself and Mai away. You can fill in the rest with Mai up until Omashu was defeated, and you already know the rest."

'_Basically everything I already knew, but with reversed sides on the war. The Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribe are the instigators,'_ Gohan thought. "What about you? Aren't you going to tell me about yourself?" he asked.

"You were courting me," Azula told him, smiling. Her eyes glistened mischievously for a moment. "I'm sure you can figure me out through the rest of this courtship."

Gohan's eyes widened. "E-e-excuse me?" He swallowed hard, not expecting that one. "Really?" he asked.

"You make it seem disturbing." Azula cut a glance to the wall.

"N-no. I just- didn't expect that," he admitted. "B-but… it's not disturbing." He looked away, blushing furiously. Yes, Azula was pretty. And, yes, the idea of courting her was not disturbing.

He looked back when he felt Azula getting closer. He was very surprised when she suddenly kissed him. It lasted for a few seconds before she pulled away from him.

"Did that help make you remember some things?" she asked.

"N-no," he stuttered. He stared into her eyes, wondering why she'd go to the extreme elaborateness of her lies just for him.

_'She did say she took care for me, that wasn't a lie,_' he thought. He couldn't find anything but a semi desire. He didn't protest the second kiss that followed, but stopped the third.

"Azula, we were going to get married?" he asked.

"Of course, and we still are," she answered.

"Really? When?" he asked. '_She lies.'_

"In two years, once I become of marrying age," she answered.

"How old are you?" he asked.

"Fourteen. Fifteen soon," she said.

"I just have one more question for now," he told her.

She rose an eyebrow.

"Where can I sleep?" he asked, a small blush on his face. "Not here, it's not right for us to be in the same room," he told her.

"There's an empty room down the hall to your right," Azula said, looking away with her own blush. "Though, I don't see fault in sharing a bed if there's no _copulation_ involved." She looked back to him.

"Uh," he drew out. Standing, he took a step and fell on his face. "Ugh," he groaned. '_My tail!'_ he thought in panic.

"What's the matter?" Azula asked, a little concern for him showing.

"I guess my sense of balance has been thrown off from being in bed," he told her, getting to his feet. "I'll be getting to that room," he assured her.

"I'll help you," Azula said, standing from the bed.

"No. I'll be fine." Gohan stood, remembering how it was to walk without a tail. He opened the door, remembering to hold his power back when he did so.

He could've left this place at this exact moment, but he decided to let himself be humored. He will be staying here. Who knows, maybe he could manage to defeat the Fire Nation from within, like Azula

He walked down the corridor and stopped at the door Mai was behind. He knocked on the door, wanting to know what she would say to him.

"Zuko, I swear, if it-" Mai's words stopped when she saw Gohan. "Gohan?" She nearly gasped.

"Ty Lee, or my sister?" he asked, already knowing it was Mai.

"It's Mai," she answered. "I'm glad to see that you're fine, Brother," she said, feigning as much sincerity as she could.

"I'm sorry, I don't remember you," Gohan told her innocently.

"That's okay," she said, trying to continue with Azula's scheme. "Just know that I don't like to be bothered," she said.

"Okay, but, it's nice to meet you - well, again. It's nice to meet you again." He smiled.

"Same here," she replied with a small smile.

"Do you know where the vacant room is?" he asked.

"Over there."

"Thanks."

Gohan walked over to the room he already knew was empty.

Azula truly thought she won. That she was molding the perfect puppet. But it was her that was being fooled this time. But part of him didn't want her to be hurt the way he was. Maybe he'd just tell her he got his memories back suddenly.

Gohan woke up early - rising with the sun like nearly everyone on the ship. He was fully rested and ready for the day. There were many things he could do on this day, one of which consisting of ending the war. But, he couldn't do that without a hefty meal. And he was starving.

Getting to his feet, he yawned loudly before his stomach growled even louder, probably waking the non-benders on the ship. He did a few light stretches before walking out of the room.

_'Gosh, I really want to test out my powers again,_' Gohan thought. _'It's been nearly a year since I lost them. I'm so rusty.'_

He arrived on the deck and walked over to the side to look down at the water below. Without warning, he jumped up and into the water below.

He had a strange sense of déjà vu as he grabbed a large fish and pulled it out of the water, flying under his own power for the first time in a long time. He cooked the fish and dried his clothes with a small burst of energy.

He took his catch to the deck and started eating it - eating it with his original appetite. Oh, how good it was to be back to normal. He tossed the carcass into the air, incinerating it with the first energy blast he fired in a while. It was blue even though he didn't put much energy into it - it should've been yellow.

Shrugging it off, he walked back to his room so he could hopefully find something to change in to.

* * *

><p>Breakfast was awkward. Gohan could tell everyone there was trying to act as though he was brainwashed. Of course, he played the part, sort of enjoying it. He was seeing a completely different side to everyone, except Zuko; the Prince was clearly not as happy as he was when he lived with Iroh in Ba Sing Se. Azula mainly treated him like an item, kissing him in private and basically held him above all else. She let the bond between the two of them blossom to its full potential while he kept it at the same spot it was when he left to get his powers unlocked.<p>

There was close to no interaction between anyone but Gohan and Azula, and Mai and Zuko for the rest of the day. It was odd. This is how it was everyday until they reached the Fire Nation, where there was a special ceremony to honor Zuko and Azula. During the entire event, Gohan could feel the uncertainty rolling off of Zuko. And even after, Zuko was the same.

Now, two days later, Gohan and Azula stood outside the throne room, ready to enter for some reason Gohan couldn't quite grasp. But he wasn't really concerned by what Ozai wanted; he was going to end the Fire Lord's reign in just a few moments.

Azula was wearing casual Royal attire with her hair nicely tied into a topknot. She had her make-up on, making sure she looked presentable. Gohan wore something akin to hers, a burgundy Gi with matching pants. And, begrudgingly, he had his hair, which was lower-back length, slicked back. He was reminded of the time his hair was similar to this when he and his friends were going to wish Goku back.

"My father is a man that I strive to please," Azula suddenly told him.

Gohan could tell that this was something that no-one else knew about. He didn't have to wonder why she trusted him with such personal information, he always felt that way around her - though, he never said a word - because of the bond between the two of them.

"He leads this country with blazing glory, and it is of upmost importance to show him your complete respect and loyalty," she told him.

Gohan met her fiery ember eyes with his warm coal eyes. He could see the desire for this to happen in her eyes. She wanted her father to like Gohan. So much so, he could see it in her eyes. Normally, only suspicion and calculation could be seen in the Princess' eyes by anyone, but Gohan could see some emotions in her - only of late, though - because of the trust she had for him, which was because of the bond.

Another thing that caught Gohan's attention is that she apparently cared about him. It wasn't something all that surprising, but it was when compared to the amount she cared for other people. Hell, she even kissed him when he woke up. The thought of that made Gohan blush every time. That was, after all, his first kiss. And it admittedly helped him realize some feelings for her. Well, he already knew he liked her, but it was more than that. He cared about her enough to want to spare her the pain for when he revealed that he wasn't brainwashed.

"Sure thing, Azula," he agreed, smiling. She may be on the wrong path, but he would do this for her. And while he was at it, maybe he could help her find the right path. That wasn't an easy task. 'Azula has been this way since she was born, because Ozai has always been manipulating her,' he thought.

There was a few moments of silence before both entered. Gohan took in his surroundings in the room. There were several obsidian pillars with golden bases everywhere. The point to this was lost on Gohan. Ozai was sitting on an oddly designed throne on a higher platform behind by a wall of fire with an enormous golden dragon breathing fire painted on the wall behind the Fire Lord.

Gohan walked next to Azula, looking at the Fire Lord. The man also had long hair, not as long as Gohan's, though. Ozai had a small smirk on his face at the sight of the two of them.

Azula bowed like normal, followed by Gohan's 'respectful' bow.

"Princess Azula… I am proud to of your accomplishments at Ba Sing Se. You put an end to the tyranny of the Earth Kingdom," he said, almost, almost sounding like a practiced line. "And you've managed to capture to traitors. Princess Azula, I am very proud of you."

Gohan's eyes looked to Azula. She had a smirk on her face.

"Gohan… it was unfortunate to learn of your predicament," Ozai continued, a hint of humor in his voice. "I'm sure Azula has informed you of your heroic war efforts. It's a shame that your memories have been lost… you were - are - a great asset to the Fire Nation. And it's of great honor that you will be wedded into the Royal Family," he said.

Gohan blushed a little, thinking of the kiss between himself and Azula.

"With that being said, I have a requested for your very own home near the palace," Ozai said. "I've also arranged for your wedding with my daughter to be bumped up to just after Sozin's Comet," he said. "You'll both be fifteen by then, an acceptable age in this rare case of yours," he told them.

_'Does he know?' _Gohan's eyes narrowed, thinking of the old prophecy.

"Meaning, the special connection between the two of you," Ozai said, confirming Gohan's suspicion. "Azula didn't know this, Gohan, and neither did you… but, the two of you were blessed by the Gods and the spirit of Agni himself." He circled them.

"Father, what do you mean?" Azula asked.

"It means, Azula, that the Gods and Agni want the two of you to marry and produce strong children," Ozai told her.

Gohan's faint blush burned his cheeks. His eyes briefly caught Azula's. She had an odd gleam in her eye.

"And, the child that you two produce will the leader of a great nation if, Azula, you defeat your brother in an Agni Kai for the throne," Ozai told her. He had always favored his daughter. And even though Zuko managed to accomplish what Ozai deemed impossible three years ago, and it made him proud - he will always favor his daughter. He wanted her to have the throne, Zuko didn't deserve it; Zuko was weak. But the only way for her to get the throne would be for Zuko to either die or be disowned - banished like before; or, for her to challenge him to an Agni Kai.

_'This guy is thinking way too far ahead_,' Gohan thought.

Azula knew she was her father's pride. She was the Perfect Princess, after all. She was proficient in all areas, a true prodigy if there's ever been one. Not only did it take her only a few short months to take down the Earth Kingdom, but she also captured two traitors, one of which was scheduled for execution soon.

"Of course, Father," Azula agreed.

"But that'll be some time from now. I am still Fire Lord, and will be for several years to come," Ozai said.

Azula smirked.

Ozai looked to Gohan. He inwardly smirked. His daughter also managed to brainwash the boy and bring him into the Fire Nation under the guise of amnesia. Now, he could have the perfect son he always wanted. He didn't need to do any of the manipulation himself, Azula was already starting on that. Gohan would undoubtably prove worthy of Ozai's pride.

"You two are dismissed," Ozai said, walking back towards his throne.

Gohan subtly frowned. He didn't like this guy. He was the wrong type of ruler. He was cold-hearted, vile, and a liar. That was the wrong type. The right type? Well, Gohan might say it was like his grandfather's way of ruling the Ox Kingdom. The Ox King was a nice, caring, and respectful to all the residence there at the Ox Kingdom. Yeah, that's the right type of ruler. But, that's not to say that there aren't other qualities to being a good ruler, because their are. Gohan was sure Ozai had some of those, but his evilness took away from that.

Just as the two teens were about to exit, Gohan heard Ozai whisper:

"Summon the War Council in thirty minutes."

It would have been impossible for anyone but Gohan to hear at this range. The hybrid considered this as the door behind them closed.

'The war is still being fought, resistance is sure to crumble,' he thought. Before he could find somewhere to think, Azula grabbed his wrist. He turned towards her. "Yes, Azula?"

"That was perfect," she said. "You are in good favor with my father," she told him, leaning in to kiss him.

"Thanks…?" Gohan didn't move. He simply allowed the kiss to happen, not resisting, but also not giving in to the temptation. The kissed were still a little weird to him. Maybe it was just his Saiyan side being against it, or maybe it was his inexperience with relationships. He was unsure of what to do. Like, where was he supposed to do with his hands? Just let them dangle at his sides? That seemed to be the best solution, but it felt awkward. The whole kissing thing was what the problem was. Why's she moving so fast anyway?!

Gohan turned his head when he felt someone approaching. It was an old man, a palace worker.

"Princess Azula." The man bowed to the Princess. (Honestly, what would someone call Gohan in this case? A Lord? Sir? I'll come back and edit when I know). "Gohan, I have been tasked with showing you to your home," he said, bowing to Gohan.

"Thank you." Gohan smiled. "I'll be back later, Azula," he told the Princess as he started walking away.

She nodded in approval, now expecting him to return soon.

The walk was time consuming, what with the old man not being as lively as he once was in the past. The home was elaborate, huge, fully furnished, and it came with servants.

Gohan waited patiently for the old man, who's name was O'Xain (Not relevant), to leave him be before he started thinking of what to do. In his time to think, he figured a way to deal with the war and keep company with Azula. It could only be executed at night, but it would be worth it.

* * *

><p><em>"You know, I think Kakarot should be here. He is the boy's father, after all." Barkarot crossed his arms. "I mean, he's already dead, and is a great hero. He deserves to know the whereabouts of his son." He nodded, his eyes squinted.<em>

_"I suppose you're right," Whis agreed. "Let me see…" he drew out, raising his perfectly manicured hand. A second later, an ornate staff appeared, floating into his hand._

_"That boy of yours thinks he's so slick," Agni commented once Whis started tapping the starry floor beneath them._

_"Hey, it's not my fault that girl of yours didn't know he was immune to brainwashing, especially not a primitive version like that; seriously, you'd have to be very optimistic to think that would work," Barkarot snickered. "But I'm more curious to see this plan of his," he said, stroking his chin._

_"There's always a surprise when it comes to that boy," Agni grumbled._

_"You haven't seen nothing yet," Barkarot boasted, his rubbing his left index finger under his nose._

_There was a sudden light behind them, making the two many-great's grandfathers turn around to see a very startled Goku._

_"Hey there, Kakarot!" Barkarot greeted the clueless Saiyan with a large smile._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yes, a very short chapter.<strong>


	19. Chapter 19: Bloomers and the Monkey King

**AN: Before you ask, yes, this chapter is half filler since most of it doesn't really matter. I made it up on the fly since my sister hasn't given me the information I asked for. See, I kinda lost the outline for those two stories, that's why it's taking a long time to update them. But fear not, if it absolutely comes down to it, I'll continue the story with my own way, with vague parts of hers.**

* * *

><p>Goku was, like always, searching for answers to find his son. His little genius was mysteriously whisked away by a mysterious blue fire. Goku was outraged when the Gods themselves were clueless as to his son's whereabouts. But he had calmed considerably. Shenron and Parunga couldn't find Gohan, saying that he no longer existed.<p>

Goku didn't care about the Otherworld rules he broke while looking for Gohan. He repeatedly went to Hell to ask all his past enemies if they had anything to do with Gohan's disappearance. Of course, all of them laughed at him, driving him to anger. Goku probably would've fought them if it wasn't for the ogres coming to try and restrain him.

And things on earth weren't good, it only made him sad whenever he checked in for any clues. His wife was a wreck. She was barely eating, crying all the time, and wouldn't let poor Goten out of her grasp. Goku nearly teared up when he discovered he had a second son. The boy looked exactly like him, and was clearly just as sad as everyone else. Piccolo had secluded himself, training rigorously to keep himself from killing someone. The Namekian was taking things just as hard as Goku, if not even harder. Krillin, Roshi, and Eighteen had all been sad. And the others also showed sadness.

Poor Dende couldn't find any sort of clue, even when replaying events over and over inside the Pendulum Room. The situation was taxing, and everyone was in fear of something similar happening to them.

It had been just a few weeks since Gohan's disappearance, and now Goku was staring down at the yellow clouds that separated Heaven from Hell. He was going to go down and ask again. This time, nicely.

That's when his body started glowing white. He was caught completely off guard.

"Ugh, what's happening to me?" he asked himself, feeling as though his body was being pulled by some unseen force. Then, in a flash of white, he was overtaken. He closed his eyes, trying to force his way out by going Super Saiyan, but his powers were nullified.

A few seconds later, he opened his eyes, blinking a few times to take in his surroundings. The light had vanished, and now in its place, were three people.

_"Hey there, Kakarot!" _

_Goku blinked, looking to the man that spoke. It was a Saiyan, judging by the swaying tail, and onyx eyes. Then it hit him. This guy looked like him a little bit. "Uh… hi?" Goku greeted, unsure of what was happening at the moment._

_"I'm Barkarot, your ancestor, too many greats to count," Barkarot said. "But you come directly from me; it's all been son after son for the longest of time," he whistled. _

_"Your my Saiyan grandpa?" Goku asked, scratching his head._

_"I guess you can say that," Barkarot said, still grinning._

_"That's neat." Goku smiled. "And who are those two." He pointed to Whis and Agni. _

_"Ah, let me explain why you're here, Kakarot. Then, you'll know exactly what's going on and who everyone is," Barkarot said, clasping the Saiyan on the shoulder._

_"Okay," Goku agreed._

_"It all started thousands of years ago…" Barkarot started retelling the story. He didn't stop until he was all the way up to date. "…and that's why your son is gone," he summarized._

_It took a moment for Goku to fully take in everything he had been told. But when he did, he was a little angry. _

_"You guys stole my son from his home for a purpose I still can't grasp, and you did it without letting either of his parents know?" he asked. _

_"Well, you make it seem like we're bad guys," Barkarot said, his smile wavering. _

_"Isn't that kidnapping?" Goku asked._

_"Well, in human terms, yes, but, as the Super Saiyan God, I feel like… it… wasn't… needed. Oh, that sounded way better in my head," Barkarot sighed._

_"Why do we waste time talking to this pump?" Agni referred to Goku while looking to Whis. "He's a mortal; this matter should not concern him," he said._

_"That's my son down there," Goku stated factly._

_"Kakarot, look at it this way: this is sort of like an adventure for Gohan," Barkarot told him. "You've been on countless adventures, why not let him have this one?" he asked._

_Goku was quiet, giving the words some contemplation. _

_"Besides, he's actually grown quite find of this world and it's inhabitants." Whis stamped the floor lightly with his staff, creating viewings for all the good times Gohan's had with his friends. And more recent times with Azula. "He loves them, and they love him."_

_Goku nodded in understanding. He knew it all too well. "Well, I guess there's nothing to say if he's okay with staying here, to live out his life," he said. "And I'd like to stay here, and watch if it's okay with you," she added._

_"Sure. That's why you're here," Barkarot agreed, smiling. He hadn't mentioned that earlier._

_"Thanks… Grandpa." Goku smiled. "But, I have one request." He turned to Whis. _

_"Already done." Whis read Goku's mind, tapping his staff one time on the floor. After all, it was the least he could do._

_Goku smiled in thanks. Sure, he may have still been upset with these Gods, but as long as his small request, and the fact that his son was alive, all could be forgiven._

_The four men then turned their attention back to Son Gohan, who was now flying over the ocean._

* * *

><p>In Capsule Corp., Bulma Briefs, president of the company, was typing away at a Model A Super Computer. Her goal right now? That's obvious: to find and save Son Gohan. She had been doing this ever since her godson disappeared. It was a tough job, but she would persevere.<p>

She had just let Trunks play with some toys in the corner of the lab not ten minutes ago when Vegeta had finally stopped training. This is when an orb magically popped up in front of her face. She shrieked in terror, falling off her chair. Trunks immediately woke up, crying from the sudden commotion.

Standing, Bulma quickly picked up Trunks, and ran across the room to put distance between herself and the floating orb.

"Vegeta!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "Vegeta, come quick!" she yelled again.

"Woman! Why in blazes are you…" Vegeta trailed off when he saw the oddity in her lab. He knew that this was not one of her inventions, for she was busy finding a way to get Kakarot's oldest child back. He positioned himself between his family and the orb.

"Kill it!" Bulma was now feeling secure behind the protection of her husband.

Vegeta, never missing a chance to impress his woman, put his hand forward, almost touching it. He was going to blast it to oblivion, and be done with it, but it surprised him when it suddenly displayed an image of Gohan shortly before his abduction.

Curious to know why Vegeta hadn't destroyed the thing yet, Bulma cautiously peered around his shoulders. She immediately gasped, nearly dropping Trunks, dumbstruck at what she was now see what Vegeta was seeing.

"Gohan?" She maneuvered around the Saiyan Prince, reaching out to touch the orb. She touched it, making the video pause. She touched it again, making it play again. It wasn't hard to figure other functions of the orb; tap twice to fast-forward, and three times to rewind.

"We have to show this to Chi-Chi," the science genius said after witnessing Gohan land in the middle of some sort of snowy village.

Vegeta nodded. In truth, he thought he'd never see the boy again, that Gohan was seriously dead. But this was proof that he wasn't. He began to feel curious about how Gohan was handling this situation, though, he didn't let it show.

It took a little over three hours, but Vegeta, Bulma, and Trunks had managed to arrive at the small home located in the four-thirty-nine east district.

Chi Chi was sadly cooking, still depressed about Gohan being gone, when Vegeta opened the door, tearing away the flimsy wood.

"Vegeta, why are you such an ass?" Bulma rushed in, moving straight to the kitchen.

"B-Bulma?" Chi Chi was startled, shakily holding a knife to defend herself.

"Mom?" Goten was instantly in the kitchen.

"Chi Chi?" The Ox King was there a few moments later, nowhere near as fast as Goten.

When all were present, Bulma placed the orb on the table, motioning for everyone to join her there.

"B-Bulma, what's this about?" the widowed mother asked.

"Just watch." Bulma made the orb do it's thing.

It showed Gohan get abducted, making Chi Chi cringe and start crying. Then, she gasped when it began showing what happened after.

"Gohan!" The ex martial artists screamed, moving closer to the ball, her second son and father joining in.

"Tch." Vegeta had to move around the table to get a view. Gohan was technically a subordinate of his, he had the right to know what his subordinates did.

And so, they watched for three hours, ate, then took the orb back to Capsule Corp., where Bulma contacted the entire Z-Gang, so they could all watch.

* * *

><p>A few days passed before Bulma created a way to view the happenings on a large television screen. (Seriously, who's want to be bunched up over a ball?). The Z-Fighters decided that they would watch over Gohan, though unable to do anything. Even Vegeta! It became sort of like a pass time before and after training, especially since it could pause and play at anytime.<p>

Gohan was learning Firebending from Jeong Jeong, earning some comments here and there.

"Tsk. He wouldn't need fire if he had his powers," Vegeta said.

"Yeah, the Fire Nation would be destroyed if Gohan had his powers from the beginning," Yamcha agreed.

"But he's still strong," Tien observed.

Chi Chi now understood the importance of her son being strong. It would be so easy for one of the people where he's at to stab and kill him, something impossible if he had his powers.

**~Skip to the Oozaru Gohan vs Fire Nation army~**

"He… he," Krillin stuttered, fearing for that planet as he gulped down some juice.

"Bulma, how is able to do that?" Tien asked, his usual monotone breaking.

"I thought his powers were locked away," Yamcha said, sweating a little.

"It appears as though only his Ki and eating habits were effected. His physiology was left alone, meaning, he still has the ability to transform into an Oozaru. I suspect the same would go for Super Saiyan," Vegeta answered for her.

"Oh," was the collective word uttered after Bulma nodded in agreement.

**~Gohan vs Azula, abandoned Earth Kingdom town~**

"Man, that chick is relentless," Yamcha said, eating some popcorn.

"And she looks rather healthy," Roshi added, his shades gleaming as he looked to one of his dirty magazines.

"Look, she just protected Gohan from that Fire Jerk," Krillin said, drinking some soda.

"She's probably under orders to capture Gohan," Piccolo mused.

"Anyone else surprised by how quick Gohan mastered Firebending?" Bulma asked. "I mean, it took him a few weeks, and here he is facing someone that's had years to hone her skills."

"Goku learned the Kamehameha just from watching me," Roshi said, looking up from his magazine. "And Gohan is his son; you know the old saying."

**~Skip to Gohan vs Azula, the drill~**

"Look, he's luring her out of that thing," Ox King pointed out.

"Of course, why would he let her die?" Yamcha asked. "She's hot," he said. "To him, I mean," he quickly corrected himself.

"Awe, he sure does like that girl," Krillin said.

"If he plays his cards right, he might just get some," Roshi said, earning wide-eyed stares from the adults, and a frying pan to the head by Chi Chi.

"My son is too young to be involved in such vulgar activities," Chi Chi told him, scowling.

"S-sorry," Roshi mumbled.

**~Skip to Gohan and Aang at the Eastern Air Temple~**

"Finally. He's going to slaughter those weaklings," Vegeta said.

"Not necessarily. Now that he has his powers, he could force them to stop fighting. Imagine the surprise on their faces when he blows up a mountain," Krillin said.

"Shut up, Baldy," Vegeta snapped.

"Hey, I got some hair now," Krillin said defensively, rubbing the patch of hair on his head.

"It's actually about time," Piccolo said. "The war between those humans was getting on my nerves."

"Agreed." Tien nodded.

"It looks like he's going to force that strange energy out of his body, creating a vessel for his own energy to return to," Roshi observed, sporting a few lumps from a comment he made about Gohan and Mai, Ty Lee, and Azula.

**~Gohan vs Azula and Zuko~**

"This boy proves to be a true Saiyan warrior. He has next to no power to speak of, but is still able to fend off two opponents that are at full power," Vegeta said, almost respecting the half-Saiyan.

"Why can't he be a true Human warrior," Yamcha complained. "You know, not everything revolves around you Saiyans," he pointed out. He was comfortable with being around Vegeta, sitting back in his recliner.

Vegeta shot him the most menacing glare he ever devised, making the human hide behind several people.

'_I trained him to fight, don't see me complaining about him not being a Namekian warrior,_' Piccolo thought as Gohan dodged an attack by Zhao.

"That guy, I thought he was dead," Krillin muttered.

"Want to bet that Gohan beats him in less than one minute?" Roshi asked.

"I give him thirty seconds," Vegeta said.

They heard Zhao's mad rant.

"What a sick freak." Bulma frowned. "How can he be so obsessed with such a young girl?"

"That girl's no older than Gohan." Yamcha moved a little closer.

"That guy's nothing more than a young Roshi," Chi Chi said, not caring if the old man was in the room.

"Hey, give a lecherous old man some credit!" The Turtle Hermit shook his fist angrily.

Then…

All eyes were wide and all jaws were dropped when Gohan was struck down by Zhao, and given a second bolt for good measure before landing in the water.

"My baby!" Chi chi screeched, fainting soon after.

"Unbelievable," Vegeta muttered.

"No!" Krillin clenched his fists.

It wasn't until they noticed him breathing that they relaxed. He wasn't dead, that's a good thing. Head trauma? Yes, maybe. The brainwashing put most on edge, only Vegeta and Piccolo observing silently. They knew that it shouldn't work.

They were relieved when Gohan revealed to himself that he wasn't brainwashed. The kid wasn't terrible at acting!

It almost got a little crazy when Azula kissed Gohan when he woke up, then again when they were in the Fire Nation Palace; mainly, Roshi was being perverted. The men all smirked, enjoying the boy's discomfort. The only person that was against Azula was Chi Chi, even after seeing how much she cared for Gohan.

"He could be just as good as Phony Satan," Krillin commented.

"So my baby isn't going to become a horrible monster like that girl?" Chi Chi asked, looking to the bald monk.

"No." It was Piccolo that answered. "The kid saw a chance to not only help free this girl from the darkness in her but also end the war with whatever this plan of his is," he said. "So maybe there's a chance for her to not turn out to be a horrible monster. You should be proud. Gohan has the ability to bring good to even the darkest of hearts," he said.

Chi Chi nodded in understanding.

Now, all were wondering what exactly Gohan was going to do.

* * *

><p>Gohan sped through the halls of the palace, easily evading any and all guards and servants. It was easy; child's play, really. He eliminated his presence, not because anyone could detect his energy signature, but because his '<em>Girlfriend<em>' would be able to feel him coming a mile away.

He turned a corner, seeing the Fire Lord's Throne Room, or War Room. The door was just starting to close after an old man.

With a small burst of speed, Gohan found himself glued to the ceiling, looking at the War Council from above.

"I'll get straight to the point," Ozai said, spending no time beating around the bush like usual. "With the boy under our care, the Fire Nation has secured a victory in the war. With the Avatar dead, there's no chance of us losing."

Gohan frowned, zeroing in on Aang's energy signature. Now that he had his powers back, his sensing ability had sharpened. All of his friends were alive.

"We'll continue to send forces to Ba Sing Se. There are currently four divisions there to make sure it secure. There no need to worry about Omashu, there are no Earth Kingdom citizens there at all," Ozai droned.

"What about the Northern Water Tribe?" Xolai, a member of the council asked, his handlebar mustache glistening.

"I say we send another invasion force, this time in greater numbers. It's like you said, Fire Lord Ozai, with the boy on our side, plus the death of the Avatar, there's no way we'll lose," another member, Kulipa, said.

"Hmm, very well," Ozai agreed. This decision surely would've never been made if Gohan wasn't involved.

Gohan looked to the strategy board, his eyes taking in all information. He would be able to wipe out any and all Fire Nation ships, bases, platoons and colonies with ease.

Gohan waited fifteen minutes for the meeting to end. He discreetly made an exit before starting his way out of palace.

With his presence concealed, Gohan continued flying until he was far enough where Azula wouldn't notice a shift in his power, he hoped.

Flying was a sensation not lost on the Saiyan over the near year he's been in this world. There was Nimbus and Appa able to fly him around, but those were not a match for his own ability to fly.

At first, keeping stabilized in the air was a problem. But now, he was soaring through the sky at speeds this world has never seen before.

"Yahoo!" The half Saiyan flew down, diving into the water. He encased himself in his energy before flying down to the deepest part of the ocean.

He wasn't surprised to see giant sea creatures everywhere. Nor was he surprised when he flew out of there the first chance he got.

He flew up an out so fast that he created a force that pushed tons of water up and into the air. With his aura glowing, it gave the airborne water an almost star-like dazzle before he blasted off again.

'_Okay, that's enough of that for now,_' Gohan thought, flying towards the closest group of power levels on the ocean.

* * *

><p>Floating in the air over a squadron of Fire Nation ships at sea, wandering aimlessly, just on watch for any Water Tribe ships.<p>

He felt many people on the ships, so he couldn't just blow everything up.

'_Or should I?_' he asked himself, noting how evil most of the energy signatures felt. This specific squad was known as the Western Bay Raiders, responsible for mass murder in small Earth Kingdom villages and towns, under the lie that they were Earthbender strongholds. Luckily, Gohan knew nothing of this. _'One chance is what they get,_' he thought.

Gathering his energy, the halfbreed began the transformation into Super Saiyan, starting to yell. This brought the attention of everyone on board to the deck.

By the time the first person reached the deck, Gohan had completed the transformation. Winds that were generated from him died down greatly, slowly letting the battleships stop the violent swaying.

Now, every Firebender was looking up at a brightly glowing golden figure.

'_It will be better for no one to see my face. Even if I look different by hair and eyes, my face is the same_,' Gohan thought, slowly descending on the horrified faces.

One brave soul tested his luck, shooting a stream of fire at the Saiyan.

Gohan merely waved his hand, his training with Jeong Jeong taking precedence in this matter. Realizing his mistake, he expected nothing to happen; however, he gasped when the fire turned left, being diverted from himself.

'_I can still Firebend!?_' he questioned in alarm. Truth be told, he was relieved. If Azula or Ozai asked him to bend or create fire, he would've been screwed. He was about to test this theory when he remembered that only he and Azula created blue flames. These people would probably be able to piece two and two together. Even though he was glowing in aura and flying.

Instead, he glared at the man daring enough to attack. He floated down a little closer, wanting to be sure that they all heard him.

"I am the Spirit of War!" Gohan declared, frightening them with his imagination. "And I have grown tired of your nation's tedious provocation that caused the war of today! I control the elements! Fire! Water! Earth! Air!" He waved his right hand, creating a huge wave just from the force of one swing. He used telekinesis to grab several boulders that were on the ships - the ones used for attacking other ships - and sent them into space with the thrust of his left arm. He then pushed both arms forward, creating an invisible kiai that felt like wind pressure to the soldiers.

"It's the Avatar!" someone shouted, creating mass panic.

"I'm no Avatar!" Gohan told them, calming them for a moment. They feared that if they caused any trouble for him, he'd kill them on the spot! "And I will give you all one warning! Return to your home land, tell your ruler of what you've witnessed here, and never return to war!"

Gohan then blasted off at super speeds, creating a sonic boom that nearly capsized the ships.

This was repeated once more that night, scaring the crap out of some Fire Nation soldiers. It could almost be called fun and games if he wasn't serious about it.

The world was at war, and he wanted that to end as soon as possible.

Upon returning to the Fire Nation, he quietly slipped into his house, admittedly after an hour of trying to find it. The cluster of power levels in the capital city were enough to confuse. But he made sure not to forget ever again, memorizing it's location.

Now he was just wearing red pajamas, ready for bed. He had small smile that said he didn't have a problem in the world. In truth, he did. He had a murderous girlfriend to help get on a righteous path, a war to end, and friends to assure of his survival.

But right now that didn't matter. All of those would be dealt with in time. And it would all be easier now that his powers were not restricted. Sure, it would take some time due to him wanting it to be slowly broken to Azula, but he was young, time was abundant. Well, he had to do it before Sokka's invasion because he was going to help end the war that day.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Short chapter, yes. Hopefully the next should be longer. I was going to mention something, but I forgot. My memory fails me a lot. Uh, yes! I remember! Time flows differently between the two worlds. Months in the Avatar world are weeks in the DBZ world. <strong>

**This will be explained in future chapters.**

**Anyways, have a great day. **


	20. Chapter 20: Chidori

_A Thousand Birds_

Bloop, bloop, bloop. The sound of turtle ducks swimming in a pond, carefully following the lead of the mother, echoed throughout the area. One odd fella kept dipping under water and letting its air out, resulting in the abnormal sound that morning.

Son Gohan smiled at the turtle duck that was different from the rest. It was so carefree and unrestricted, unlike its siblings that seemed to be militaristic in their formation.

"I think I'll name you… Krillin," he said, smiling at the memory of the goofball that was his friend. This little turtle duck reminded him a little of the balled monk.

A gentle breeze graced the area, giving a rare moment of cool air through the normally warm and hot city.

The young hero was dressed in formal Fire Nation robes, put together by the tailor of the Royal Family. Of course, he didn't really like the armor underneath, which was actually given to him by Ozai's demand because of what he did a few days ago, the Spirit of War! Speaking of which, that's the reason why he's dressed so formal. They were going to discus the phenomenon known as the Spirit of War.

He nearly chuckled at the thought. He let his imagination come to life right then. And now that he had time to reflect on that, the best course of action probably would've been to kill them, or to at least destroy the ship, leaving them to fend for themselves.

Or, if he knew how to materialize objects, he could create a giant cage, force them all inside and take them to a Earth Kingdom or Water Tribe camp.

His eyes sparkled from the sudden idea. _'Yeah, that's what I'll do. It will minimize loss of life and it won't hamper any progress,'_ he thought, smiling. _'Plus, no witnesses for a further report.'_

"Why are you smiling?"

He turned his head and saw Azula standing next to him, one delicate eyebrow quirked.

"No single reason," he answered, standing. "It's actually a lot of things, really. I'm smiling because the beauty of those flowers, the orange glow in the sky when the sun sits just right on the horizon," he told her, still smiling.

"Why?" she asked, curious to know more about him.

"Come, there's still an hour before we're supposed to go to the Fire Lord. Let me show you what I mean," he suggested, taking her hand in his so he could lead her away.

He figured that showing her these things would make her smile. But he was wrong, those things didn't matter to her for some reason. He had told her about why he was happy, yet she seemed confused.

"Why? They're just flowers," she replied, looking to flowers in a garden not too far from the palace.

"Sometimes… you have to enjoy the little things in life, you know? You never know when your life will end, or swept off your feet and put on a path you never wanted," he replied, looking at the sky.

He was talking about his own experience.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"This amnesia. I'm sure I didn't want it," he said, looking her in the eyes. He could see the imperceptible, underlying guilt creep into her eyes for a moment. "But that's okay. It gives me time to think about life. That's why I believe that all life has meaning. From the smallest of insects to the the Fire Lord himself, even commoners and peasants. And even beyond just that. The grass, the trees, the clouds, everything. It all has value." He looked over to see her staring at him. He laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "It might seem strange, but there's even value in the life of those from other nations!"

Azula was perplexed. He was saying that there was actual value in the life of such trivial things? Why? What value was there in a filthy peasant?

"We should go now," Gohan sighed. "I'm sure we wouldn't want to keep the Fire Lord waiting, right?"

"Right," she agreed, storing a question for him for a later time.

It wasn't as strange as it was before. The walking through the Fire Nation. He was getting better at fitting the bill of royalty. He remembered sometimes visiting the Ox Kingdom, where the people treated him like royalty, and how his grandfather and mother presented themselves to the people. They were regal. He, not being one for attention, was not.

But now, seeing how this life was for Azula and Zuko, he tried his best to fit in and meet expectations so he didn't seem out of place.

A few turns later, they found themselves out side the war room. Two guards were stationed in front of the door, they instantly parted for the two teens.

Walking through the door was like removing a veil. The temperature was much higher than when he last entered the room. That was probably as an intimidation factor. The heat was making all the older Firebenders were sweating a little, a testament to their withered powers - or perhaps to Ozai's greater powers.

Gohan scanned the room once, seeing Zuko to Ozai's right, and two empty to his left. Gohan stepped aside and let Azula take hers to the immediate left of Ozai, and he took the one next to her.

It was silent for a few moments before Ozai decided to speak up.

"As we all know, there have been reports of a spirit going around and claiming that it has grown tired of the war."

There was a common nod of agreement. Before Ozai could continue, an old General spoke up.

"This a matter of upmost importance! For all we know, that spirit can come here and wipe us out."

Ozai critically looked to the elder that spoke. He closed his eyes, almost as if deciding whether or not to have the man gelded. He opened his eyes to address them once more.

"Yes, that is true; but, I might add that the spirit did not kill a single person. I find it odd that a mighty spirit would travel to our world just to demonstrate his power."

Gohan looked to Ozai. He leaned forward a little to let the man know he was going to speak.

"Fire Lord Ozai, if I may?" The Saiyan gestured, keeping his cool.

"You may, Gohan." Ozai waved airily.

Intrigued eyes watched as the teen contemplated his next words. Gohan heard a suppressed chuckle that was passed off as a cough. It was undoubtably the humor the elders felt when they looked to him. He was, after all, supposed to be under manipulation.

"It is strange to believe such a claim. I mean, the soldiers in question are all of the youngest class, correct?" Gohan had his argument in mind.

Ozai nodded.

"And why would a spirit attack the Fire Nation when there are two other parties involved with the war? And there were no other reports anywhere else but from here." At this point, Gohan drew a triangle on the world map in front of them in the area he went to. "Isn't it odd that only four ships were in the area, yet… only three report the incident?"

There were looks of consideration amongst the gathered.

"Back to the point about the young soldiers; if my memory serves correct, they were the latest batch commissioned from Kasai Port, where they spent a few weeks." Gohan looked to each face.

"What's the point?" someone asked impatiently.

"The point is: I believe the spirit they speak of is nothing more than a cleverly devised hoax." Gohan received a few blank stares before continuing. "A hoax made by young soldiers that very well may be off to meet their doom. As such, this is nothing more than a way to get a last laugh."

"He has a point, Fire Lord." Azula drew eyes to her. "Such fickle claims can't be trusted coming from a group of indisciplined soldiers."

"That's only if what Gohan says is true."

Gohan looked to the old man, raising an eyebrow. "How can it not be true? Why would a spirit even waste time with three ships in the middle of the ocean, and not the capital of the Fire Nation where the Fire Lord resides?"

That was hard to rebut against. The old man sat back, a sour look on his face.

Ozai seemed to hold Gohan in an appraising manner, his eyes glistening with pride. "Very well spoken, Gohan. I think you very well may have proven the claims false."

Azula caught the look in her father's eyes and resisted a smirk. Yes! This is exactly what she wanted! More light to be shone on Gohan than Zuko. If the two of them could prove their worth, she can somehow become Fire Lord! Then, Gohan and herself could rule the world as the mightiest couple in the world!

"Though, Fire Lord… I think the best course of action would be to send more ships out to the area, just to prove the claims untrue when the spirit does not show up." Gohan leaned back a little._ 'Just a few more weeks. I'll take you down,_' he thought.

The entirety of that night when he scared those soldiers served as plan to improve his merits with Ozai. It was also a test run of his powers.

"Prince Zuko…" Ozai looked to his oldest child, his voice losing something- the positive edge. "Is there anything you'd like to add?"

"Actually… I think it would be best to not send soldiers out on the off-chance that there is a potentially dangerous spirit out there." Ozai, for all his worth, was a little surprised by his son's argument.

"Prince Zuko is correct." Gohan brought eyes to him once more. "I realize the folly in my plan, even though I'm sure it's just a fable. It's a wise decision to not immediately send troops out." He smiled at Zuko.

Ozai nodded. He saw that Azula's eyes were slightly narrowed on Zuko. She clearly didn't like his counter to Gohan's proof of the report being a lie.

"Very well, you're all dismissed." Ozai waved his hand. He wanted to get to his musings rather quickly. "And send for my advisors."

Gohan nodded, standing to leave. He walked over and held the door open for Azula before walking out after her, unintentionally letting the door close in the face of a few respectable elders and Zuko. He didn't realize that he may have started a problem.

* * *

><p>Over the course of the next five days, Gohan has tried explaining what he meant by the value of life. She was barely starting to understand him, but he could tell that her own view on life was the opposite of that. First, he'd have to get her to understand that before her change started to begin. It was a conflict of interest on her side, but that was all right.<p>

Currently, with the wind blowing ever so slightly, Gohan stood outside of a beach house with Azula, Mai, Ty Lee and Zuko. The sun was beating down on them, but not too hot, and not a cloud in sight. It was a perfect day.

However, the sight that greeted them was mood killing. Not that they were hyped the to begin with. None but Ty Lee really wanted to be there. Gohan had a smile on his face, albeit a bit forced. He had no problem being here, but he'd rather be somewhere else. You know, somewhere to practice using his powers.

He stepped into line behind Zuko, walking up the wooden steps to the small house. There were few creaks made, probably from the lack of using them, or maybe over use.

Upon entering the house, he slightly grimaced, his sensitive nose taking in a strong smell as he looked around at what the beach barfed up, so as Mai had put it.

Red, pink, black, and gold. Those were the main colors he has seen anywhere in the Fire Nation. There were right here and there, but the aforementioned are the primary and secondary colors that existed here. He wanted to wear his orange Gi, but knew that orange made up Air Nomad garbs, along with yellow and beige.

He briefly wondered about why there were color codes. Was it that they lacked the necessary materials to make other colors, or are they unwilling to let other nations know how to make those colors?

"Who are these two beautiful women?"

Gohan slowly turned his attention from a cool-looking shell to see Ty Lee pointing at a painting of two young women with their rumps touching.

"Can't you tell…" Lo started, moving into the same position as the woman in the left in the painting.

"…it's Lo and me." Li finished, in the same position as the woman on the right.

"We know you are upset about being forced to come here," Lo started.

"But Ember Island is a magical place," Li continued.

"Keep an open mined…"

"Give it a chance…"

"And it can help you understand yourselves and each other," the said together.

"The beach has a special way." Lo picked up a rock and gave it to Li, who continued:

"Of smoothing even the most rugged edges."

"To the beach!" The twins clapped together, leading the teens to a changing area.

"Huh." Gohan looked away, not trying to be rude, but also not trying to be revolted when both old ladies dropped their robes.

Moments later, Gohan was walking next to Azula, keeping himself from taking in her beauty. He had a good look earlier, but pried his eyes away so he wouldn't stare. She has a very gorgeous body.

Gohan let his eyes wonder, instead, a little ways away to the water that occasionally crashed against the shore. There wasn't really much to admire around here, but he welcomed the distraction anyways.

'I have ultimately decided.' He blinked, his eyes sharpening for a moment. 'Ozai is going down on the invasion day. I'll have to make some other preparations, but everything shall be fine,' Gohan thought.

Azula saw his distant gaze and frowned. She wanted his attention to be on her, not some stupid water. It's the whole point of her wearing such an outfit. Maybe he was starting to grow tired of their relationship? They had talked for hours about the values of life, right and wrong. She had to resist the urge to roll her eyes at the time.

She hadn't taken him serious back then. She only went along to make the ruse seem stronger, but now? Now she started to really think about those words. But why protect those that aren't worthy? Maybe the answer was in him.

She looked closely at him, knowing that beneath his thin robes was a well sculpted body. And she knew that he was a powerful bender.

'_We have both attained great power by training, but he uses his power for good, and I for his version of bad,_' she mused silently, glancing at her brother. There's no reason why Zuko shouldn't be at the level the two of them were at- or higher. Zuko was two years older than both of them, but Gohan would utterly destroy Zuko if they came to odds. Could it be that Gohan's drive to protect the innocent made him so strong? Was it because Zuko was like her that he was hindered so? If he were like Gohan, would he be stronger?

And what of her? If she became like him, what would happen to her? She could see herself as a peace-loving, weak-protecting, cheerful person. That Azula was weak, and she despised the weak.

They came to a stop at a nice, open area. Gohan went about setting up his and Azula's spot. It was quick and proficient, setting up shade for her and himself like Zuko did.

"I'm not bothered by the sun, you know." Azula looked to him. He flashed a grin in response.

"I'm sure you're not, but it just seemed right to do this for you." He sat beside her, looking out at the water. "I could always take it down for you if you'd like," he offered.

"No. It's… nice," she replied, a rare public smile adorning her face.

He smiled once more, taking in the sight that was her. "That's good."

As the hours went by, Gohan found that spending time with the other teens was somewhat of a good experience.

Currently, he sat under the inky night sky, looking to Azula. Mai and Ty Lee were invited to a party, that's where they were. Zuko was also there for some reason. Gohan had shrugged the party off, not wanting to be there. And so, Azula chose to stick with him and walk the length of the beach with him.

The Saiyan had a bright smile on his face. He had somehow managed to get a genuine laugh out of Azula. The Princess found his use of the term 'crap-baskets' humorous when he was telling her about a 'story' he had made up.

"What happens next?" she asked.

"The chubby swordsman then goes, 'please, sir, I really admire you and would like to join you if it's not too late!'" he answered, giving his best imitation of Yajirobe.

She laughed again.

Gohan decided that he liked her laugh, making sure to store the sound to memory.

"Gohan, where did you get such a scene from?" she asked after a while. Truly, there weren't much comedy centered plays and such in the Fire Nation; and, she wasn't really much into comedy, but she found the story humorous.

"I just made it up." Gohan shrugged, looking ahead. "I have an entire story if you want to hear it," he said.

"I'd… like to hear that," she admitted.

"Well, it starts with a boy named Goku…" Gohan hoped that by telling her a slightly different and shortened version of his dad's childhood that she'd get a better grasp of what he was getting at. But she was a stubborn one, getting her to change wasn't easy. He feared what will happen when he took down Ozai. What would happen to her when she saw him put an end to Ozai's reign?

Suppressing a sigh, Gohan put on a smile as the two stumbled upon Mai, Zuko, and Ty Lee. Apparently, Zuko had just tossed a family portrait into the fire, enticing a small protest from Ty Lee. The argument that followed wasn't the most comfortable of situations to be near.

Gohan kinda just kinda sat back and listened. He stared into the fire, tuning them out until his ear twitched when he heard:

"For so long, I thought that if my dad accepted me, I'd be happy! I'm back home now; my dad talks to me! Hah, he even thinks I'm a hero!" Zuko's words were humorless. "Everything should be perfect, right? I should be happy now, but I'm not! I'm angrier than ever and I don't know why!"

_'That makes since. He betrayed Iroh, his one constant in life, for this life, and he's having regrets for that, and also because he knows he made a bad decision; a decision he might want to soon change,'_ Gohan thought, shaking his head as the rest of the scene played out. He stood up to leave once it was over, having absolutely nothing to contribute to the conversation.

Azula noticed him leaving and called out to him:

"What about you, Gohan? What bothers you?"

Gohan stopped and looked over at her. He turned and walked back over to them.

"You guys want to know what bothers me?" he asked, sitting down. He looked at where the fire was, sparking a new flame by mental command.

There were simultaneous nods.

"I have no problems with my life," Gohan told them. "I have friends, family, a girlfriend, nothing wrong over here. I lost my memories? Oh well. I'll make new ones." He shrugged nonchalantly.

"So… you're saying that you don't have a problem with anyone?" Mai asked. "Don't you hate how Zhao nearly killed you?"

"I don't hate anyone. Sure, there are things I dislike, but hate is a very powerful word. But so is love. And I love the world." Gohan smiled.

The teens slightly tensed when his visage became darker. "However, I am _bothered_ by the world. I don't like that the world has been at war for one-hundred years, with no end in sight; I want peace. I don't like the hate in the world, or people that try to oppress another's life. That's why, I'll put an end to this war," Gohan said, smiling at their reactions. "Alone, if I have to."

"How will you do that? You can't fight an entire two armies by yourself," Ty Lee pointed out. Oh, if only she knew.

"I've studied various Firebender techniques back at the capital. Lightning is an ability harnessed by so few. And it's pretty dangerous… well, in the normal means of harnessing it that is. I've created a new, safer method." He closed his eyes as he lifted his left hand.

The four other present stared in shock as lightning started forming at his finger tips.

"How are you doing this?" Azula asked, wanting to know so she could use it. The lust for power was evident in her calculating eyes.

"Only the drive for peace within will lead to the manifestation of the power to create that peace," Gohan answered cryptically. It was a lie, of course. He'd forgive himself later, if she came over the side of good, that is. "With this power, I will strike down the world's oppressor." He intensified the lightning, making it cackle.

'_It sounds like birds chirping,'_ Ty Lee observed.

"The want for peace?" Zuko repeated. Inside, this was another blow inside. He looked to Gohan, the Saiyan was practically the Saiyan as when he first met him. Perhaps… his good spirit wasn't affected by the brainwashing.

"Don't you guys want the war to end?" Each nodded for different reasons. He let the lightning fade away. "The four nations were meant to be separate. There shouldn't be a need to conquer others… no one nation should ever try and dominate the others. When you look at all that this war has accomplished, it's almost laughable. The air nomads were wiped out a hundred years ago; in the time since then, all that's been accomplished is the simple loss of life. I cherish life, I don't like to see people die, and the three warring nations are simply sending men and women to be killed." He looked away. "That's why I want the war to end."

"What do you plan on doing about that?" Mai asked.

"If any of you were to ever have children… would you want he or she to grow up in a war-torn world?" Gohan asked, looking to each.

He took their silence as a means of finishing.

"Give me one month; I'll end the war. That's what I'm going to do about that." He stood to his feet. "One way, or the other, I'll personally put an end to it." He began walking away.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yosh! Next chapter, you will see what affect Gohan's words have on each of his peers.<strong>


	21. Chapter 21: The Avatar: Fire!

It was the second day on the beach, and the teens were preparing to leave. Well, three of them were. Azula and Gohan were ready, both having woken up before the others, the former because of the latter.

Currently, Azula stared at Gohan from an open window, Mai and Ty Lee both behind her getting ready to depart as well. The Saiyan was looking out at the ocean again. This probably would have annoyed her if his statement from the night before hadn't unnerved her slightly.

_'And that lightning attack…'_ she trailed, watching as he messed up his hair. It was no secret that he preferred messy hair. That was one of the first things she found out about him.

"Thinking about my _brother_?" Mai asked, stressing the word 'brother' with a roll of her eyes.

"Yes… it's about what he said and did last night," Azula told them.

"Yeah, talk about ominous," Mai huffed. That actually sent chills down her spine when she thought about it afterwards. "I never would've thought someone would bend lightning like he had," she said. "And he seems to have mastered it in, like, a month or so." She looked at the Saiyan.

"You guys don't think he regained his memory, do?" Ty Lee asked tentatively. If that were to happen, what would happen to them? "He wouldn't kill us, would he?"

"That-" Azula rounded on her, ready to harshly cast the theory aside. "-is a possibility," she realized.

"But that wouldn't make sense. Why would he continue as though nothing changed if he regained his memory?" Mai asked. "Besides, with everyone sleeping, he's had more than enough time."

"There is no logical reason for that," Azula concluded. "If he did return to the correct state of mind, there is a very slim chance that he would continue a charade." She nodded.

"What if he finds out?" Ty Lee asked.

"Yeah, he has actual control over lightning. I don't think anyone would be able to stop that," Mai supplemented. "What could be do?"

"If it comes to that-" Azula turned to the girls. "-the Fire Lord will welcome him to Yougan Peak (Lava Peak)." Azula smiled, knowing that she wouldn't have to resort to that.

As Gohan turned back to the small house, there was a sudden strong gust of wind, making the Saiyan's long hair blow to the side. With the time of day, a shadow overtook his visage, making him look something akin to a conquer. It was frightening and exciting at once.

While the girls were discussing this, Zuko sat in a chair while he contemplated the events of last night. Gohan brought up some key points that Zuko couldn't even disagree with.

Gohan's words were starting to tug at his heart strings. Everything was true; the war only succeeded in killing people- his people, along with others. The war needs to end, but he was conflicted. He finally has what he wanted, his dad treats him like a hero, he feels loved again. But, was this way of living truly the right way? Was there even a right way of living?

When he sees Gohan, there's sometimes guilt in his heart. But other times, when he remembers his defeat at the Saiyan's hands, he feels anger and resentment. It was infuriating to feel this conflicted.

Does he side with the Avatar for the sake of peace for his people and the world, or does he side with the Fire Nation and make others suffer?

He knew what it was like to suffer, and did not want such a fate to fall onto another person. But, on the other hand, he felt as though all that suffering was to be made up by following in his forefathers' footsteps.

He was left with a choice. A choice that decided his fate, and that of the Fire Nation.

* * *

><p>Son Gohan sighed in mild frustration. He was frustrated with Azula's seemingly impenetrable mindset. Yes, Azula just didn't want to change, her mind was too set on following her father's dreams. The dreams to be the "Perfect Daughter." That greatly annoyed the Saiyan, making his interactions with the Fire Lord clipped and to the point. He didn't like spending any time with the man. Seriously, what type of father does what he did to his children?<p>

Gohan shook his head to deter from that line of thought, knowing that it would do him no good.

It seemed as though the only people learning from him were Mai and Zuko- and he only ever spoke to them about this one time apart from the time on the beach. Zuko was a mass of walking confusion, and Mai followed directions, but was only loyal to Zuko and Ty Lee -and Azula to a certain extent.

He had put his usual droning to Azula on the subject on pause for a couple of weeks, wanting to just spend time with her since the invasion was less that two weeks away at the time. He had figured out that the only way to get her to change would be to take away the other choices she had, the bad ones.

He blamed it all on Ozai. He really liked Azula, and he wished she would change, but the world came first. It was his duty. Because of that, he was now preparing to commit treason. Technically speaking, he was never a citizen of the Fire Nation so this couldn't be counted as treason, right?

'I doubt that she will want to be anywhere near the Fire Nation once Zuko or someone else is at the thrown,' he thought, running a hand through his hair. It was mid-back length, spiky as usual, and he had two chin-length bangs that framed his face, annoyingly. (He would have slicked them back, but then he would look a lot like Raditz, something he didn't want) His fringe nearly reached down to his right eye, but it was okay for now. He planned on cutting his hair, but not now. Today was the Day of Black Sun. He had small preparations to do.

The invasion was set to take place in two hours, he figured that he should take this time to meditate.

Sitting in the center of the room, he closed his eyes and began inhaling and exhaling in slow, rhythmic breaths. Just like how Piccolo taught him.

It happened so fast that Gohan probably would have had a heart attack if he was an old man. Only, he didn't have a heart. At least, not anymore. He had heard a voice, then he opened his eyes to see himself sitting in front of an old man in a weird plane of existence!

"I apologize for startling you, young Gohan," the man said.

"…that's okay." Gohan waved off the apology, trying to grip the situation that presented itself to him.

"My name is Roku, the Avatar before Aang," Roku announced.

"I see… so, what am I doing here? Where exactly is here?" Gohan asked. "Wait, is this the spirit world? Am I dead?! How'd I die?!" He ran a hand through his hair in panic.

Roku gave a hearty laugh at the boy's increasing worry. "Do not worry, Gohan," Roku told the Saiyan. "You are not dead. It is only through meditation and some meddling that you are here in the Spirit World," Roku told the boy.

There was understanding and recognition in the Saiyan's eyes. "Oh, that's cool!" This had never happened before, to him.

Roku nodded with a small smile. "Now, the reason I brought you here is simple: you can not defeat the Fire Lord."

Huh? "What do you mean? He's not that strong, I can defeat him, no problem." Gohan looked incredulous.

"Yes, I am aware of your powers. This is why I reach to you." Roku nodded once. "The world as you know it has lost balance…" Roku began to tell the tale a millennia old. "…And that is my fault. I must share with you how the world lost balance before you know how it will return to balance. It started back almost two hundred years ago…" Roku looked away, bringing Gohan's gaze to follow his. He began to share with him his life, rise and fall, and by the end, Gohan had an understanding he hadn't previously.

"So… you're saying that it's solely the Avatar's job to restore peace and harmony to the world?" Gohan asked, catching on early. A frown marred his face.

"Don't take it to heart, Gohan." Roku waved placatingly. "This is the simple way of the world. For example, if you were the one to bring down the Fire Lord, the people of the world would look to you for guidance." He waved off the reply, continuing. "It is true. I know how people work. I've walked this world for over a hundred years. You may not know this, but Aang isn't very far into the good favor of the people. The people have lost hope in him, and all believe him to be dead. If he were to miraculously appear after you defeated the Fire Lord, none would even want him leading them into peace."

"Not if I were to identify with another nation, I'm sure," Gohan replied. "But, why is it so wrong that someone else were to guide the people into harmony? As long as the job gets done, I don't see what the problem is."

"The problem is that it will throw off the balance of the world more than it already is," Roku replied. "For the generations to come after the time of Aang."

"But what if I said it was Aang? What if I defeated Ozai and gave Aang the credit. It would cause less death and misfortune in the long run." Gohan saw Roku consider this.

"I know Aang," Roku sighed. "He would not be able to keep that truth from the populace, I'm afraid. This is for the greater good in the long run. If the Avatar's credibility becomes any lower, I fear that it may never return to where it should be."

Gohan was silent, staring at the man in silent consideration. He understood what Roku was talking about, and understood where he was coming from. But he didn't like it. There had to be a way around it all.

"Gohan, I would truly appreciate it if you respect my wishes as Avatar." Roku bowed slightly to show the seriousness of the matter. "I know you wish to help bring harmony to the world, and I have a way for you to do so, while Aang leads the world into harmony." He looked away once more, prompting Gohan to do do as well.

"This is during your time as Avatar?" Gohan observed the change in scenery, watching intently.

"Yes." Roku gestured around. "This is of the world where I was not. This is what the people did when I was not around." There was a group of men cornering a woman in an alley. "I could not be everywhere at once. There couldn't be more than one Avatar per nation. I couldn't stop everything foul in the world."

Gohan nodded in agreement.

"This is where you would come in. With your ability to fly at amazing speeds, and your ability to sense the feelings of other beings… you can travel the world, stopping the problems the Avatar can not."

Gohan thought of the possibilities.

"I also know that you have an ability to split yourself in two."

Gohan was surprised by that. Just how much did Roku know about him? He only practiced the Multi-Form Technique a few times, and it wasn't even perfect. But, let's say he was to take up Roku's idea- not the plea, but the suggestion that came after- and he most likely would, it would be a great way to practice that technique. Plus, he could be two different people, Son Gohan and… The Great Saiyaman! Heh, nice name. It could be a superhero persona or something.

Gohan nodded twice, eyes closed as he plotted out how this would all work. He was unaware of the time that passed by, nor was he aware of…

"Okay, Roku, I've decided," Gohan said. "I'll make sure Aang defeats the Fire Lord, and I will help him guide the world into harmony."

"That is all I can ask for," Roku said.

Gohan nodded in agreement. "Okay, then I guess I'll see you later." He waved as he began to meditate some more to release himself from the spirit world.

He woke to find himself in his temporary room. Only, when he realized something wrong the moment he returned.

His body was gone!

**(Several minutes earlier, outside).**

A reverberating "thunk" echoed throughout Gohan's room, followed by a body losing its balance and slumping to the floor.

Zuko wiped some sweat off his brow as he held a red pole in his other hand. It was the pole he saw Gohan with many times prior to this whole debacle. He wore simple dark red clothing, all his garbs and accessories that identified him as Prince were gone, put away while he started this treasonous plan.

The first part of that plan involved getting Gohan and Gohan's belongings to a war balloon while the second step was to reveal his treacherous departure to Ozai. Then, third step, was to flee with the Saiyan to help the Avatar (because he knows the invasion will fail).

It was a sound plan if anyone were to ask him.

Now, hefting the Saiyan over his shoulder, Zuko made sure to avoid any route Azula would take if she decided she wanted Gohan's company.

'He weighs las much as a rhino-sloth,' Zuko grunted, trying to keep the Saiyan's hair from dragging along the ground. 'With me saving him, I'm sure there won't be any problems,' he thought.

It was all going smoothly. And nothing could stop this plan.

And nothing did! His plan went off without a hitch. With the Saiyan in the basket with him, the two were on hot pursuit of Team Avatar as the heroes fled the Fire Nation Capital!


	22. Chapter 22: Reunion?

Gohan looked high and low for his body, and was only able to come up with one conclusion: someone came into his room and stole him. He could only picture one person doing that.

_Azula_

Sighing, Gohan started towards the door, reaching to open it. He was surprised when his hand went clean through!

Shrugging it off, he walked through the door and started towards where he knew Azula was to be. He was slightly hesitant, wondering what she would be doing to his unresponsive body.

With his mind firmly in the gutter, Gohan shook his head and started running towards her. He ignored several frantic-looking guards, feeling as though he was forgetting something important.

He paused once he reached her, seeing only her immediately. Where was his body? She had a small smile on her face as she sat on a thrown, two Dai Li agents hidden behind two pillars.

'So Azula does not have my body,' he thought, turning and leaving the room. Hm, that only left few other people that would take his body.

He wandered the tunnels for what felt like hours, before suddenly catching a fleeting glimpse of Zuko.

He doubted it, but there was the chance that Zuko had his body. He could only guess what the older teen would want him for… he would have shivered if he had a body.

Gohan moved his legs faster so he could catch up, only noticing the Prince's attire upon reaching the destination Zuko stood at.

'The Fire Lord?' Gohan tried rubbing his own hair, only running over where it would be. Figuring that it wouldn't be cool to eavesdrop on the talk Zuko wanted to have with Ozai, Gohan sat outside, merely waiting for the Prince to exit so he could tail Zuko to wherever his body was.

A few minutes later, there was shouting, the sound of lightning, an explosion, and Zuko streaking from the room like a bat outta Hell!

Nonplussed for a few seconds, Gohan wasn't sure what to do. Finally, he took off after Zuko, not able to super zoom in his less than super body; however, he did eventually catch up, and was jumping for joy at the sight of his body… tied up and limp on the floor of a War Balloon.

Well, this just means that Zuko made the correct choice.

Jumping into his body, which was a surreal experience, he suddenly found that his entire world was suddenly black.

* * *

><p>Zuko was staring out ahead of him, mentally preparing himself for his confrontation with the Avatar. His plan had went off without a hitch, now he was fleeing the Fire Nation. He can officially be branded a traitor, but that wouldn't matter as long as he joined the Avatar, because when the war is over, he will be Fire Lord. Then he'd be able to lead his people towards harmony with the Avatar.<p>

He heard a noise and nearly jumped before remembering his traveling companion. He turned and saw the Saiyan sitting up and rubbing the spot where Zuko hit him.

'_He should be out cold for a few more hours_,' Zuko thought, eyes widening.

"What's the big idea, Zuko?" Gohan whined. "Did you hit me?" He arched a brow, eyeing him quizzically.

"I… yes, and I'm sorry, but I had to get us-"

"Away from the Fire Nation." Gohan finished for Zuko exasperatedly. "Yeah, yeah, I'm glad you made the right choice." He stood up, smiling at Zuko's nonplussed expression.

"W-how?"

"Oh, that? I was never brainwashed to begin with," Gohan laughed sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head, resulting in Zuko gaping like a fish. "Hehehe, honestly, I was just trying to change the two of you; actually, Azula more so than you. See, you were simply confused, unsure of what road to take. Azula…" he trailed off, sighing. "She needed more help, and I seriously tried."

"She just wasn't receiving," Zuko muttered, over his shock, for the moment.

"Yeah, and I was honestly friends with all of you, but I wasn't the guy Azula was trying to create, or the guy Ozai thought I was. It was all leading up to this day, the invasion, where I was going to beat up your dad and make sure the invasion succeeded, but a conversation with the previous Avatar changed that."

"You spoke with my Great Grandfather?" Zu's eyes widened. "Avatar Roku?"

"Roku's your grandpa? That's cool!" Gohan beamed, glad to know that little knowledge. "And yeah, he told me that Aang was the one that should defeat the Fire Lord, or his already low standing with the populace will dwindle even further, basically giving him no credibility to help reshape the world."

"I see." Zuko turned away, falling silent. "I want to thank you," he spoke once more after a long pause. "You helped make my choice a lot easier."

"There's no need to thank me, I just do what is right," Gohan waved his hand dismissively. "Besides…" he drew out, smiling at Zuko's turned back.

The Prince turned to look at him.

"What are friends for?"

Zuko smiled a genuine smile at the Saiyan, happy to hear that.

Many moments of silence passed by before Zuko asked, "Since you were never brainwashed to begin with, did you- were you the one that broke my uncle out of his prison?"

"Huh- oh, no! I didn't even know he was gone," Gohan replied. "Maybe he busted himself out." He shrugged.

"I wish I knew for sure," Zuko sighed. "At least, to know if he was alright."

"I'm sure he's fine." Gohan offered an assuring smile to the Prince.

The rest of the journey was spent in comfortable small talk or peaceful silence. They made it to the Western Air Temple about ten minutes before the Gaang and friends.

Gohan stood atop a cliff as Zuko fastened a rope to the War Balloon.

"Zuko, there's no need to worry, I'll personally vouch for you," Gohan said once the scarred teen was finished.

"I'm not worried," Zuko retorted. "I'm just…" He slumped in defeat at the look Gohan gave him. How is it that the younger boy was so darn perceptive? "What if they don't accept me into the group? I've done some bad things before you joined their group," he sighed. "Actually, why would they accept me into the group? With you there, the Avatar won't need me as a Firebender instructor."

"Well, if you apologize- really apologize, I'm sure all can be forgiven." Gohan smiled. "Besides, two teachers are better than one, right." He walked over towards the cliff with Zuko.

"I guess you're right," Zuko nodded, offering the rope to the Saiyan.

"And before we go to the gang, there's something I should tell you," Gohan said, serious as he sat at the ledge.

"What is it?" Zuko asked.

"It's a _long_ story," Gohan began. "To understand my story, you must first understand…"

That's how Zuko found himself numbly sitting at the ledge several hours later, his mind absolutely blown frown all the information he received.

If it weren't for the several demonstrations the Saiyan did, Zuko would've called his friend insane for coming up with such an elaborate story.

Because he couldn't even properly think of a reply, Zuko stayed silent, his view of the Saiyan drastically changing.

"It's a lot to take in, but I think we should get going now," Gohan suggested, moving to the rope Zuko had already secured.

"R-right." Zuko nodded, suddenly having absolutely no doubts that he made the right choice. He would've been baked goods if he faced this Saiyan when it was time.

"They're all gathered not too far from here. If we walk, it will take about seven minutes to get there." Gohan held the rope for Zuko to use.

* * *

><p>The Gaang, one member short, sat gathered around some ruins. The four of them were hit hard by Gohan's "Death", none more than Aang; knowing that your friend gave their life for you to live hurts. He felt extremely guilty for his friend's demise, knowing that it was his fault partly. He failed his friend.<p>

The invasion was dedicated to the Saiyan, it was supposed to be. Because that failed, they had to retreat and fail many more people as they went to the Western Air Temple.

Katara had cried for two weeks straight, cursing herself for not being able to at least retrieve his body. She was haunted with images of his drowning form, asking her why she didn't help him; this made her unable to sleep peacefully at night, lasting for weeks. It took time but she can now function properly as long as he wasn't mentioned.

Toph took it hard the first few days, crying in private for a while before letting out her sorrowful frustrations on rocks when ever she had the chance, or whenever she wanted.

Sokka tried to be manly about it, saying that the Saiyan was most likely alive- mainly to himself to keep from angering the others. In his gut, bro to bro, he knew Gohan was somehow still alive. He wouldn't believe otherwise without seeing a body.

Now, as the plans droned on, it was Toph who first noticed the presence of two people, via vibrations.

"Guys, I think this'll have to wait," the Blind Bandit said. When they turned questioningly towards her, she turned and pointed to a familiar figure.

There was a collective gasp at the sight of the shorter of the two, eyes wide at his cheerful smile.

"Hey!" Gohan waved happily, stepping closer to the group.

"G-Gohan?" Toph chocked out, not not believing her ears. The sudden rush of emotion she felt was shared with the rest as they looked at the Saiyan, waiting for verbal confirmation.

"Yeah, it's me, Toph!"

"Gohan!" The Gaang rushed their final member, tears streaming and shouting in joy.

The oldest son of Goku smiled as the first friends group hugged him, not letting him go as if their lives depended on it.

After nearly twenty minutes of this, the four finally released the Saiyan, looking him in the eyes.

"Welcome back, Buddy! I knew you were alive!" Sokka hugged his best friend, followed by Toph.

"I'm glad to be back!" Gohan replied, happily.

Aang nodded in agreement, smiling at the Saiyan. He felt as though a huge hole in him was instantly filled.

The Saiyan turned to Katara, flashing her a toothy smile.

"Gohan, I'm… I'm so, so sorry that I didn't save you," Katara apologized profusely, the only one not to dry her tears.

"Katara, it's okay," Gohan spoke softly. "It's not your fault, or anyone else's," he assured her.

"But-"

"No buts! It's not your fault. Sure, you may not have rescued me when I was unconscious, but I doubt Azula would have let you take me anyway," he laughed lightly. "Besides, if that all didn't happen, I wouldn't have made a new friend." He turned and gestured to his traveling companion.

It was then that all smiles washed away; instead, morphing into scowls of disdain or frowns of worry.

"_Zuko_!"

Gohan positioned himself between Zuko and the suddenly defensive Gaang.

"Wait, guys. Zuko is with me. He's actually the one that saved me from the Fire Nation." It technically wasn't a lie.

Sokka immediately voiced his disbelief. "Are you serious?!" The Water Tribe warrior questioned. "Did you, like, I don't know, lose your memory? Because, I'm sure you're forgetting that _HE IS THE ENEMY!_"

The Saiyan winced at the yell. "Yeah, and trust me, Zuko has changed. I promise you." Gohan held his hands up placatingly "You don't have to accept him into the group, but let me tell you guys all that's happened, and then let Zuko explain." He dropped his hands, watching as all eased up a little.

"First, I'd like to thanks for giving me a chance," Zuko started, moving to stand beside the Saiyan.

"Nothing's decided yet!" Katara glared at the Prince.

Gohan sighed as he started from the fight under Ba Sing Se, summarizing his stay in the Fire Nation.

He was interrupted a few times to explain some things that caught their interest. Much like…

"Wait, why didn't you just defeat the Fire Lord when you first saw him?" Toph asked, interrupting the story once he got to the part about meeting Ozai.

"I was trying to change Azula, you know, so she wasn't murderous. I figured that since she likes me, I should help her out to make her reach the right path." Gohan looked up. "You know, Avatar-type stuff." He shrugged before continuing the story.

And once again…

"Wait, so you're saying that Azula has a sense of humor that doesn't involve hurting other people?" Sokka asked, interrupting the story, remembering the smirk on said girl's face when Suki was mentioned.

"Well, yeah, everyone has something they think is funny." Gohan shrugged, getting back to the story once more.

And finally…

"You spoke to Avatar Roku?" Aang's, like many others, eyes were wide at this latest revelation.

"Yeah, see, I was going to go best up the Fire Lord, and help out in the invasion, when Roku came to me during my meditation that morning. "He explained to me that Aang had to be the one to take down the Fire Lord, and why," he said, which he proceeded to explain.

Aang was left surprised and astounded that his previous life would go to such an extent for him. Or, more likely, for the title of Avatar.

"After that, I just followed after Zuko until I reached my body. It's all straightforward from there." Gohan looked back to Zuko.

The older boy nodded and stepped forward, ready to speak his mind. "It took a lot of thought, but I realized that what I was doing before wasn't good, but now I'm good. Uh, that's why I want to help teach the Avatar Firebending in perpetration to defeat the Fire Lord." It came out as a clumsy mess, but it got his point across easily.

"Why would we need you? Gohan is also a Firebender," Katara pointed out curtly. Of course, she wasn't one to forgive so easily.

"Katara, would you really spurn his honest change of heart? I can feel his emotions, he isn't deceiving you." Gohan placatingly interjected.

"Okay, but that doesn't answer my question. Why can't _you_ teach Aang Firebending?" The Waterbender crossed her arms defiantly. "We don't _need_ Zuko."

"That's simple." Gohan smiled. "Zuko and I will both teach Aang, Zuko more so than me. Two are better than one, right?"

'_Actually, that depends on the situation,_' Sokka thought.

The silence droned on for a moment, nearly giving in to rising tension that was almost palpable. Finally, it was Toph that stepped forward, walking and turning to stand next to the Saiyan.

"Well, if Gohan says he's okay, I'm cool with it," the blind girl said simply, a small shrug of the shoulders added in the nonchalant agreement.

Sokka sighed as he put his boomerang back in its sheath. "I guess Zuko can't be that bad." He smiled, turning to the other two.

Aang looked from Katara to the ever growing Zuko club. He trusted Gohan, but not Zuko. However, if Gohan vouched for him, then the Prince must have really changed. Maybe now they can be friends like he once said all those months ago.

"Fine, I'll trust you," the Avatar announced, dropping his defensive stance.

Katara was the only opposer left, her aggravated scowl aimed at Zuko. How could he… after all that he's done, waltz in here and act like he's done nothing that put the Gaang in danger? The thought really irritated her, enough to make her want to Waterbend at him. She was going to open her mouth to speak…

Zuko spoke first. "I know well about the mistakes I've made in the past. And I want to make up for them by teaching Aang Firebending so he can defeat my father." The title he referred to Ozai as left a bitter taste in his mouth. "I also must atone for the sins of my forefathers, and help lead my people to prosperity afterwards with the help of Aang."

Katara looked away from Zuko. She didn't need Toph to tell her that Zuko was sincere. It was the look in his eyes. She looked away for the briefest of moments before looking at him with a hardened gaze.

"You only get one chance. If you make a mistake, the slightest intentions that you want to hurt Aang, and I'll make you pay!" she swore, leaving him with one last glare before walking off. Aang was quick to follow, leaving Toph and Sokka to turn back to Gohan.

"So…" Sokka drew out, smirking at the Saiyan. "Azula's your girlfriend, huh?" he whistled.

Gohan's cheeks turned red as he looked away. Ah, yes… girlfriend.

"No-one wants to hear about that!" Toph spat. "Talk about something better!"

"Like what?" Sokka asked.

"Rocks." Toph answered.


	23. Chapter 23: Arg, ye ol' Space Pirate

Gohan lazily looked up at the sky. It's been a couple of days since his return to the group, and everything was settling smoothly. Katara hadn't even glared at Zuko all day!

By his side sat his partner in laziness.

Yup, this fine day was dedicated totally to Toph, just like the past two and probably like the next two. Days spent relaxing and chilling while Toph demonstrated her metal bending prowess, in which she then proclaimed herself as the Greatest Earthbender in the World, which was probably true.

Now she was talking about her space rock, which was a part of the rock that fell from space- the one that comprised of the element in Sokka's sword.

"You know, Toph, that space rock is actually an asteroid," Gohan started once she finished. "A rock which orbits the sun like the the planets. They can be the size of a head to the size of half a planet." He nodded to himself.

"Gohan?"

The Saiyan looked over to her. "Yeah?"

"What is space like?"

And so, the Saiyan spent time trying to explain the beauty of space to the blind girl. It wasn't hard, all he did was pick up a large rock and begin carving out spheres from it. He used his Ki to help him do this. By the time he was finished he had created an, if he do say so himself, amazing sculpture.

Each sphere was held up by a thin rock protrusion, all placed systematically.

"Now, feel out where each rock is, and imagine the little pillars not being there. This is how space is, only, there's color. All colors can be found in space."

"It sounds awesome," Toph muttered.

Gohan looked over to the young lady, seeing her well hidden sad look. At that moment, he decided that he was going to find a way to fix her blindness. It was a long shot, but he had powers that were considered godly to these people, so he would figure something out.

She was like the kid sister he never had, so he would definitely do it for her.

Just then, his danger senses went off, he felt a hostile intent and a person too close for comfort.

Acting fast, he was there with the others in a heart beat, protecting them from a kill shot from some unknown foe.

Sokka let out a very unmanly scream at being surrounded by an "Alien retrieval bubble" and ended up falling on his rear.

Everyone deadpanned towards the Water Tribe warrior.

"Wait, don't tell me." Sokka dragged his hand down his face. "Sparky Sparky Boom Boom Man!?"

"Who?" Gohan asked.

"This guy that's been following us around since around the time Aang woke up," Katara answered.

"This was most likely your father, Zuko." Gohan looked to the Prince. "He probably didn't believe Azula when she told him it was you that beat Aang. Hm, even Zhao could have blabbed the truth on his last hour."

The Prince looked conflicted for a moment before he nodded hesitantly. This was something he's keep secret till the _death_ of him. Or until the war ended

"Either way, it doesn't matter." Gohan looked towards the man, who looked ready to fire another blast at them. With inhuman speed, Gohan was suddenly behind the guy. "Leave, and never seek us out again," Gohan warned the now startled man.

"Eh?!" Combustion Man let out a startled yelp. He tried turning towards the Saiyan, but was also just about to fire when the Saiyan started speaking.

The result was only slightly humorous. Well, it was until he suffered a whiplash from him not having his head secure while firing his blast.

"Oh man!" Gohan looked down at the dead guy at his feet. "Oh man, what happened?" he asked as he knelt to check for a pulse.

It was a futile act. He could sense the man's life leaving that instant.

'_Ah, er… I guess I'll burry him_,' Gohan thought.

Well, that's an awkward way of ending a day. Hopefully the next day would be better.

* * *

><p>When Gohan awoke the morning after, it was a slight surprise to see everyone over Combustion Man's death. He put together that it had something to do with them being a little emotionally tougher thanks to his near death.<p>

Anyways, it was nice to see everyone together. Heck, Katara wasn't even sending glared in Zuko's direction every ten seconds. Well, until said Prince shared a laugh about the time he and Sokka got covered in slime.

'_Heh, well, that was kind of a killjoy_.' Zuko thought.

Sensing this sudden change in Atmosphere, Sokka, the Boomerang Hero that he was, decided to bring the previous atmosphere back. Or, at least something close to it.

"Gohan," he called over to his friend. "Can you show us your super thingy transformation?"

"Super Saiyan, huh?" Gohan smiled. "Sure, but only the first level."

Eight pairs of eyes watched with keen interest as the Saiyan stood and moved a few feet away.

"I suggest holding on to something." was the only warning received before a sudden pressure had them all reeling in shock.

A near blinding light erupted from the Saiyan, making all save Toph close their eyes. The rumbling wasn't helping Toph see either. She felt like she was being attacked on all sides from Earthbenders.

Finally, the light and rumbling died down, and only a warm, golden glow remained.

Sokka was the first to regain his bearing and open his eyes. And when he did, he perfectly mimicked the face of an arctic koi-carp. His eyes bugged out, his mouth hung open, and his arms fell slack.

Katara and Aang did a good job of copying him, while Zuko was just nonplussed.

The Duke and the other two just stared blankly at the Saiyan.

"G-Gohan… y-you, you're- your hair!" Katara exclaimed in wonder.

"His eyes!" Haru added.

"Look at that aura!" Aang pointed.

"You can even feel it; it's so warm, like a cooled down fire," Sokka went to hug the Saiyan. "Oh, that's nice, I feel tingly in the inside." He rubbed his face on the aura.

Toph had a different reaction. All she could experience is what it felt like. She couldn't see, not through her eyes or feet. She wasn't sure if she should be impressed or not.

"I didn't want to be too flashy with the transformation." Even his voice came out different. "I don't think Aang would appreciate it if this temple was destroyed."

The Saiyan looked from each awed face, making sure that they looked to him.

"Just imagine it: what if you never lost your powers when you came here," Sokka whispered. "The Fire Nation would have been crushed!"

"Yeah," Gohan breathed out, releasing your transformation. '_It seems as though my mastery of this form went down over the years. I'll have to spend the next few months mastering it, maybe even Super Saiyan two as well.'_

It was odd. He never really put much thought in to what he would do after the war. Everyone would probably stick together for a few months before going their separate ways. He and Azula would likely be together, traveling. He knew Azula wouldn't want to be ruled by her brother, so the two of them wouldn't be affiliated with the Fire Nation, definitely not the Water Tribes, Aang would be busy fixing up each Air Temple, so the only possibility would be the Earth Kingdom, but something told him she wouldn't like that very much.

For now, he decided not to dwell on it. They actually had to end the war and discuss that later.

Actually, speaking of Azula, he had felt her getting close, before she actually turned around and went back to the Fire Nation.

Right now, he couldn't even say he didn't miss her company. She was a constant during his time in the Fire Nation, and he actually enjoyed being around her.

He spent the rest of this day just chilling, his thoughts traveling towards his, to be blunt, soul mate. What? They technically are a match made in the heavens.

The next day, Gohan set out to make a training schedule for Aang with Katara and Toph. Zuko would have been involved, but he was gone with Aang and Appa. Aang was having trouble creating a flame, so he and Zuko left to an island where the ancient sun warriors used to live.

He had listened to Toph's rocky plan, then Katara's, and now it was his turn.

"Well, since he has more experience with water and earth, I think he should spend more time focusing on fire, like three or four days out of the week, and the remaining days touching up on either earth or water," Gohan proposed.

Katara fidgeted in her spot, her eyes diverting for a moment. "That sounds great to me," she agreed.

"Good, and Toph?" Gohan looked to the girl, who was "staring" at Katara.

"Yeah, whatever floats the boat." She waved. "But only until Aang gets the hang of Firebending, then we'll work out a different schedule." She crossed her arms, showing that this was the end of the discussion.

She must have been upset that her schedule didn't exactly work out, Gohan had mused before going off to run everything by Sokka to make sure it can fit by whatever schedule he cooked up.

* * *

><p>Deep in the cosmos, in a very elaborate, ornate structure, several explosions went off, rocking the entirety of the inside, and waking up one of the occupants.<p>

A purple being grumbled his complaint as he forced himself to wake up, willing himself to stand up straight and continue to the dining room to get himself some breakfast. Or would it be lunch? Dinner?

Anyways, that didn't matter right now.

Something was odd. Where was his master? Usually, the man would be here greeting him when he woke up. But he was not here.

Maybe he was cooking food.

That was ruled out just by sniffing the air around him. It lacked the smell of food. So where was he?

Walking around the palace soon became tiring, so he tried sending out the other occupant of the palace, coming up short a second later.

Now what?

The oracle fish.

That good ol' thing always had the answers. Of course, if he had bothered to look next to his bed, he would have seen a note from his master explaining his absence.

So, that's how one God of Destruction found himself sitting on a rock, watching the adventures of one Son Gohan.

"So… Whis is in another universe overseeing this kid and his friends?" Bills questioned, receiving a nod as an answer. "And this kid is a Saiyan?" Another nod was his answer. "Saiyan… Saiyan… Saiyans. Ah, yes! The Saiyans. Hey, so the Saiyans are still around? Freeza did not kill them like I requested?"

"No, Freeza did destroy Planet Vegeta. A handful of Saiyans survived, and he was later killed by a Saiyan," Oracle Fish supplied.

"Really? Freeza was killed by a Saiyan?" Now that was a surprise. "And how was that done. I remember that King Vegeta was pathetically weak. Freeza could have killed him with a flick of his tail, no greater to other Saiyans. Well, maybe that Bardock guy if he transformed into a ape and caught Freeza off guard. I liked him. He sure knew how to clear a planet out."

By this point, Bills was slightly rambling, and his attention shifted over to the Oracle Fish as said fish began showing the altercation between Freeza and Goku.

"That is a Super Saiyan. He had defeated Freeza, but a different Saiyan killed him." The fish showed future Trunks killing Freeza and King Cold. "Every Saiyan alive, four in total, can become Super Saiyans."

"Super Saiyan… Super Saiyan, it sounds familiar. Super Saiyan."

"Could it be the Super Saiyan God?" The fish queried.

"Super Saiyan God!" Bills flipped and started floating upside down.

"He's with Whis, watching over his descendant with the Super Saiyan that defeated Freeza, and one other."

"Hmm." Bills went back to watching Gohan. He had watched everything from the arrival to the Saiyan trying to teach Aang Firebending with Zuko. "This is boring… so bland. It needs spice. A surprise ending? No, Whis will be furious if I destroyed that planet, I can tell. Ha! I know what to do!"

King Yemma wasn't always easily intimidated. In fact, he liked to think that he was quite fearless. However, that was squashed and turned to mincemeat when He arrived.

Now the giant ogre was sweating bullets as he looked at the God on his desk, looking up expectantly at him.

"Uh, w-well, y-you see, Lord Bills, I c-can't just give you someone that was condemned to Hell for all eternity."

"And why not?" Bills asked, his eyes narrowing and his fists twitching dangerously. "I just want to borrow six little bugs. Actually, I hear that they cause quite the ruckus down in Hell. Think of this as a permanent solution to your problem."

Yemma froze as he contemplated this. On one side, he can accept and get rid of the thorns in his side forever. On the other, he can refuse and be murdered.

"Well, when you put it like that, I really shouldn't refuse. Okay, but on one condition." King Yemma held up one finger.

Bills quirked a brow.

"I want a new desk. This one is oak wood, I want a mahogany desk," Yemma said.

"Okay, it's a deal," Bills agreed. "Now, then…" He gestured to a spot next to him.

And just like that, Yemma had a new desk, while seven figures simultaneously popped into existence.

"You six are coming with me." Bills pointed at them, binding them as he teleported away.

Before any could even reply, or test out their living bodies, all six were teleported away.

When they reached their unknown destination, they saw the face of a boy they all hated- more or less.

"Yes, that is Gohan, and I do believe all six of you hate him. Now, since I know who all of you are, allow me to introduce myself: I am Lord Bills, God of Destruction."

"Arg, the name be Bojack," a tall blue man with orange hair introduced himself.

'_He already said he knew you, bastard._' Someone rolled their eyes irritably.

"Anyways, you all want revenge on Gohan. Well, I'm going to give you a chance." Bills smiled pleasantly. "As you know, he had some roll in all of your deaths, so I got all of you from Hell to go and fight him."

"You must think of us as fools. The boy undoubtably reached the same third level of Super Saiyan like Goku, probably even a fourth," another spat, picturing Gohan with red fur and tail.

"Fear not, the boy has slacked in training," Bills assured them. "He's actually weaker than when he fought you."

"Really now? That's good!" Bojack announced.

Bills chuckled lightly. "Yes, this is good. Things can finally be spiced up."

"So when do we go kill him?" Bojack asked.

"Soon. I can tell that a massive conflict is near. That is when this show will be at its climax," Bills replied.

"Show?"

"Think nothing of that," Bills said. "Just be sure to make things entertaining when the time comes, which should be in two weeks, our time, give or take." Bills began walking away. "Make yourself at home. Don't break anything, or I'll kill you."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Just wanted to throw out there that I was literately swamped in school, homework, stage crew, chores, cleaning gunk from inside the pool, moving BACK to Arizona, and other shit that kept me busy. Anyways, I'll be focusing on this story until it ends, then the other Gohan one, and, finally, my own, The Fairy Saiyan.<strong>

**So, look forward to another update by sunday. Sorry for the long wait, we should be back on track.**

**Also, I'll be impressed with anyone that can guess who the other five villains are.**


	24. Chapter 24: A Royal Death

Gohan smiled as he over saw Aang's training. He was teaching Aang a way to maximize his fire output while exhausting his energy. Basically, he was trying to increase Aang's power reserves.

He was the only one with Aang on this day, for Zuko and Sokka left in the middle of the night, claiming to have gone on a three day fishing trip. Gohan had bought it. Zuko and Sokka could use some Bro Time to let them define their friendship.

"Nice, Aang, keep at it," Gohan said.

The Avatar said nothing as he focused on the fires around him. They were too huge to let get out of control. Of course, this was just the beginning. He had learned to keep the flames the same size, and now he was trying to keep them from spreading, a monumental task.

But what Aang didn't know, was that Gohan was actually making the exercise harder by making the flames harder to control. This was the best way to maximize results.

'_He won't be doing this exercise again for a week. Might as well make the most of it_,' he had thought.

The next day, when Zuko and Sokka did not return, Gohan had Aang preform each kata he knew, then, told him to bend some fire while doing each.

The Avatar barely finished before Gohan told him to redo it but while making the fire stronger.

_'He's getting stronger. Soon he'll be stronger than the average soldier, and then…'_

"Hey, uh, Gohan? What do I do next?" Aang asked several minutes after his latest exercise.

"Actually, the only thing you can do now is work on everything you already know. When Zuko returns, we'll work out an advanced training regime for you." Gohan nodded. "You're doing great, keep up the good work, but take a break for now."

Aang sighed in relief as he looked from where his fire died down to the side where he could clearly see Katara and Toph sitting and watching them.

"Hey, Ka-" Aang stopped when he noticed the girl of his dreams looking over at Gohan, not him. Again.

He saw her doing that a lot lately, mainly when the Saiyan wasn't looking. It took him a while to realize that he did that to her when she wasn't looking.

_'What is it that's so special about Gohan?'_ Aang thought. He didn't ask it sourly, just plain curiosity. He knew that Toph, Azula, and Katara all like the Saiyan, so he was curious to know why.

The young Airbender turned his head to take a good look at the Saiyan, his eyes scrutinizing the Saiyan for something he didn't have.

Hair! Was it the hair? He remembered Katara complimenting him when he had hair, before the invasion. This would go into the maybe category.

The smile? Gohan smiled a lot, but not as much as Aang. The Airbender didn't think there was a huge difference in their smiles, so this would go into the unlikely category.

Was it the height? Gohan was taller than Aang by a good margin, and taller than girls. That could possibly be it, so he'd store that in his mind as a possibility.

_'Maybe it's his body,'_ Aang though in wonder. _'He has a very defined body, maybe that's why Katara likes him?'_ He looked over to Suki and Sokka, who was wearing his sleeveless Water Tribe outfit. He could clearly see the muscles on Sokka's arms.

There seemed to be a trend going on here. Girls _seemed_ to like muscular guys.

'_That has to be it!_' Aang snapped his fingers, taking a confirming glance back towards the Saiyan. '_It's because he looks good!'_

He thought about that though for a moment.

_'It's not like I also don't look good,'_ Aang thought, looking down at his shirtless form. He barely had any muscles. '_I'm just a-' _he suddenly gasped, horror dawning on his face. "I'm just a _kid,_" he whispered.

"I wouldn't cut yourself short, Aang," Gohan replied, leaning in with his eyes suspiciously narrowed. "You're a lot more mature than half the adults we've met. You may physically be young, but you're like me. You had to grow up fast," he said sagely, finishing with a nod.

Aang blinked before looking away, realizing that the Age difference is probably what set he and Katara apart.

"Hey, uh… Sensei? Do you think we can try physical exercises next time?" Aang asked, looking away in embarrassment. He was asking his competition for help.

"Sure. Though, I didn't think you'd want to do that, may I ask why?" Gohan brushed his hand through his spiky mane, dully noting Aang's gaze flickering to his hair.

"W-well, I just had a thought. What if the Fire Lord gets in real close and I'm unable to defend myself fast enough? Or if he's too physically strong?" Aang listed, actually noting that these could be possibilities.

"Huh, I guess those could happen. But you'll have to train twice as hard," Gohan warned.

"That's okay with me." Aang smiled. '_Anything to get Katara to feel the same about me as I do her.'_

"So, you ready to get back to work?" Gohan smiled.

* * *

><p>"Katara, what's the matter with you lately?" Toph suddenly asked, curling and uncurling her toes from her position on the ground as Katara prepared lunch later that day. "What's wrong with you and Gohan?"<p>

The Waterbender went rigid, feeling as though she was suddenly put on the spot. And she knew that if she lied, Toph would be able to tell.

"Nothing is wrong between us," Katara chose her words carefully. "I'm just really glad that he's back."

"Is that all?" Toph asked.

Katara looked around once. Twice. Sighed. Then proceeded to tell Toph what the problem was.

"Oh." Toph was speechless. '_I didn't know Twinkletoes kissed her,'_ she thought, scrunching up her nose.

"You can't tell anyone, especially Aang," Katara told the younger girl.

"Not that it would matter. In the long run, it wouldn't work out and you know it." Toph shrugged.

"I know." Katara sagged. "But that doesn't change my feelings," she admitted.

"You and I are in the same boat when it comes to that," Toph admitted, shocking Katara. "What? I have my reasons, just like you. The important thing to know is that you have to know when to cut your losses.' she shrugged.

"I guess you're right." Katara nodded.

"Besides, Gohan and I have already been on, like, three dates," Toph boasted.

"Liar!"

Well, they were alone hanging out a while back. In Toph's book, it counted.

* * *

><p>Upon Zuko and Sokka returning to the Air Temple the next day, it was all smiles and laughs, no problems there.<p>

"So you're Gohan." Hakoda smiled down at the Saiyan. "Katara and Sokka have told me a lot about you," he said, offering his hand out to the teen.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Hakoda. Likewise, I've heard tons about you," Gohan replied, taking the offered hand and giving a light squeeze.

"Now, is it true that you fell out of the sky?" Hakoda asked, leading Gohan away to discuss that.

"Yeah, it's true, sir. And it hurt. A lot." Gohan and Hakoda walked off to talk.

"Look at that!" Sokka beamed. "My best buddy and dad getting along perfectly!" He draped an arm around Suki's shoulders. "Katara, look at Gohan and Dad bonding together." He pointed his sister in the direction of the two aforementioned men.

"I see that, Sokka." Katara rolled hers before looking at them. "Gohan has a way with people, you should've known that they'd get along."

"Yeah, I wish I had one of those camera-thingys Gohan talked about," Sokka sighed.

"Camera?" Suki quirked a brow in curiosity.

"Yeah, it's this little device that takes pictures of anything you want in real time," Sokka began explaining, leading his girlfriend away.

"Hey, Sparky," Toph greeted Zuko.

"Hey," Zuko replied.

"Did your dad really want Gohan to marry Azula?" she asked.

"Yeah, that's what I heard. He was going to wed them after the comet," he answered.

"You know there are gods watching us, right?" Toph asked.

"And one of my ancestors." Zuko nodded.

"Weird," Toph mumbled.

"Very," Zuko agreed.

The two then walked away from each other without a word.

What with everyone being reunited once more, everything seemed right for now. Yep, it was all smooth sailing from there.

Well, it was, for about three days until Gohan suddenly woke up with a start.

* * *

><p>"Azula," Gohan muttered, dully noting that there were dozens of the other signatures near her. They were about a quarter mile away, and he was reacting to her presence just now?<p>

He chopped that up to him having been focusing on suppressing his presence while he slept.

Toph was awakened by Gohan's sudden movements. "Gohan, what's going on?" she asked, already alert.

Everyone else was awakened by Toph's loud voice.

"It's Azula, she's here," Gohan announced.

"The we need to leave," Katara said.

Appa was saddled and everything was gathered and put on him in record time. Toph and Haru created a large tunnel for them to escape through, but Appa wouldn't budge.

Suddenly a bomb was flung into the court, but knocked out of the area thanks to a certain bald kid. Aang would like it if the Air Temples didn't become anymore damaged than what they already were.

Then, in a display of bending prowess, he sealed them inside with a gust of air that close the metal defensive doors that were around the perimeter.

This didn't stop the hail of bombs, which caused the temple to shake.

"Watch out!" Zuko cried as he tackled Katara out of the way.

"What are you doing?" Katara sounded disgusted.

"Saving you from being crushed," Zuko answered.

"Well, I'm not in danger anymore, get off!" She pushed the Prince so she could get up.

'A "Thanks" would have been nice,' Zuko thought as he got up.

"Uh, guys, we have to find another escape route, Appa doesn't like tunnels," Aang called out, trying to usher Appa into the tunnel.

"I'll be the distraction then," Zuko said as he moved forward.

"What, why?" Aang demanded.

"She's my sister, I can hold her off," Zuko said before sprinting towards the front, where the hail of bombs did not decrease.

After making sure everyone wasn't looking, Gohan silently called Nimbus to him. And as he jumped aboard the cloud, he briefly wondered how Azula was. He felt a disturbance in her energy signature.

While warding off attacks aimed at Appa, he saw that Zuko was dueling with Azula. Gohan wouldn't lie, he was impressed by Zuko's skill increase.

It was a short exchange, ending with a bang from both that sent the other flying back.

'_Azula_!' Gohan thought in panic, seeing that there was no way she could stop her fall.

Zuko was caught by Appa, but it looked like Azula would fall to her death.

He stared for several long seconds, watching as she just fell. He saw her face, she was not surprised by this turnabout- if she was, it didn't show on her face.

By some coincidence, she spotted him. And when she did, her arms and legs stopped moving, almost as though she resigned to her fate as she fell below the fog.

That spurred him into action.

* * *

><p>"Whoa, I can't believe it," Aang muttered.<p>

"She didn't make it," Zuko whispered. He felt a soft pang of regret course through him, making him turn his head away.

Katara didn't know why, and she felt horrible for it, but she suddenly felt grim satisfaction course through her.

They were silent for a few seconds, all not sure what to say.

"Gohan? Are you alright?" Sokka asked, looking around for his friend.

"Where is he?" Katara looked back towards the temple. "Did we leave him?"

"Maybe he's with your dad," Toph supplied.

"Yeah, to protect them." Sokka thought it was possible. "That's good, he wouldn't to have seen… _that_."

* * *

><p>Gohan landed in the desert several miles away, breathing haggardly as he stared down into Azula's eyes. There was surprise there, excitement and curiosity, but most prominent would be the uncertainty.<p>

"Azula."

"Gohan."

They just stared in silence for a moment, just looking at the other before he hugged her. If he didn't have his powers, he _probably_ would've lost her- not a good thought.

"You saved me," she said, not returning the hug. "Why?"

"Why? Why wouldn't I?" Gohan pulled back to look at her.

"You left me," her answer was barely above a whisper. "Just like the others."

Was she upset about that? He hoped not. Maybe about him not being brainwashed. Did she hope that he was still under its effect?

Actually, Azula was not upset or hoping for him to still be under the brainwashing.

Because of that, she was confused (more so than ever thanks to Mai and Ty Lee's betrayal). She wanted to know why he left her. Mai and Ty Lee's reasons were obvious, as was her mother's. But Gohan? He never looked at her with fear or contempt. So why did he leave?

In fact, he was the only one that looked at her with care. Not like her father, who only showed pride. So she wondered what it was that she did wrong that drove him away. Was she not good enough? Was he upset that she lied to him? How could he be? She did it for his survival! She didn't want the Fire Nation to destroy him.

She didn't even question whether or not it was he that was in the wrong, because, to her, he could do _no_ wrong. She would never question his decisions (if they weren't about him leaving her) that he made.

It was rare seeing that kind of devotion. Really, he could kill several people and she wouldn't even oppose him for it. Even if it was her own people.

She told herself that whatever the problem was she would rectify it at any cost.

So when she saw the Saiyan sitting on his cloud back at the air temple, she couldn't grasp reality hard enough to save herself. In fact, she questioned reality when she saw, hoping that it was actually him. But she hadn't attempted to save herself, almost against her will.

She felt her chest tighten, and she immediately had the desire to run and grab him and never let go. But she didn't do that.

"Who left you?" he asked.

"Ty Lee and Mai betrayed me," she told him.

"Why?"

She then proceeded to explain what happened a few days back, skipping some minor details.

'_I can't say that I couldn't have expected that. Of course Ty Lee would side with Mai. There's a deeper connection between Mai and Ty Lee than between Azula and Ty Lee_.'

"I'm sorry to hear that, Azula." It was obvious that she didn't want to discuss that. "It's not important now. Just know that I would never abandon you."

"Then why did you leave?" she asked.

"Well, I was training the Avatar." He noticed her slight frown. "So he could defeat Ozai and return peace to the world."

She stared blankly at him, not sure what to say. "Why did you leave me behind?" she asked after a while.

"Because, I came to realize that no amount of peace talking would get you to change your views, and that you would always side with your dad," Gohan said softly. She winced at that. "I was never brainwashed to begin with. I was pretending to be so I could get closer to you. Because I like you, I wanted you to accept that what the Fire Nation is doing is not right."

She was silent, contemplating his words in her head. Never brainwashed? It sort of made sense, but why would he pretend all this time? Did he truly care for her that much?

"And I know you wouldn't want to travel with my friends, that's also why I didn't bring you along," he said. "But now, it's just you and me. Everyone probably thinks you're dead. Word will reach the Fire Nation in a matter of hours," he said. "You basically have a clean slate. What do you want to do? I can take you to back the Fire Nation, or you can stay with me," he said.

She made a contemplative face as she looked away. Gohan or Ozai. She flinched at the memory of her father. She really didn't want to lose his love the same way she lost her mother's. But, Gohan was just as important, losing his love would hurt her more. What would she do? Who did she choose?

The choice was near impossible to make and it was straining her psyche just to ask her own question.

"W-why? Why are you doing this to me?" she asked. "I- you're asking me to betray my father and his love, but… if I don't side with you, I'll be betraying you and your love." She finished looking like a kicked puppy.

"Azula… I'm not trying to hurt you. But this… is bigger than me or you. It's about the fate of the world, I'm sorry for making you feel so torn, but… just come with me." He held his hand out to her. "You can start over, and we can move forward from there."

Azula looked at the offered appendage. She hesitated. If… if she chose to go with Gohan, there would be no returning.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she stepped forward with tears threatening to spill from her eyes. The impossible choice was made the second she stepped into his open arms and buried her face into his shoulder.

* * *

><p>"Prince Zuko killed Princess Azula!"<p>

The shout caused mass panic among the men and women inside the airships.

This was bad. They all saw that she plummeted into the chasm below, there were dozens of witnesses.

"Quick, we must make sure!"

That was met with many blank stares, almost all of them questioning the man's sanity. No-one could survive a fall like that, not even the Avatar.

"Someone send a messenger bird to the Fire Lord!"

That was something no-one wanted to do. Telling the Fire Lord that his son killed his daughter? Noway! That was a sure way to get burnt to a crisp!

But despite the trepidation, word spread quick, so fast that overnight, the Fire Lord already knew! It was not pretty for the messenger, even if he didn't get burnt.

The same day, Li and Lo made the announcement to the people that the Princess was dead, shocking the masses, and instilling fear in their hearts. It was widely known that the Princess was a prodigy that came second only to the Fire Lord, so to have her murdered by Zuko, it worried them that maybe the Prince would become the next cruel Fire Lord.

While some people were saddened by the news, others were indifferent- like the Fire Lord, who was only slightly angry that a valuable asset was killed. Sure, she may have been his daughter, but he held no love for her, only the slight pride in her abilities. However, if she could be killed by that treacherous dog of a Prince, then she was no daughter to him. Maybe if he could get his hands on Gohan…

'Well, it's not like she was needed anymore,' Ozai thought. 'The plan will go as continued. I'll just have to spawn another heir. Troublesome, if only she and Gohan spawned one… but since I plan on ruling for three more decades, this is of little importance.'

'It's a shame, too. Azula was a true prodigy, but this goes to show that prophecy wasn't completely true.' He steepled his fingers in front of his face.

In time, Zuko would pay for this, but it wasn't something to be upset about. He had a country to rule, there was no time for the simple things.

* * *

><p><em>"Oh my, what a twisted turn of events," Whis commented.<em>

_"Yeah, for a second there, I thought he wasn't going to save her," Barkarot muttered._

_"But everyone still thinks she died," Agni said._

_"They did say they were starting over," Goku observed. "They wouldn't people looking for the Princess, so this is a good thing, right?"_

_"I suppose so, since they'd undoubtably want their privacy. I imagine that the Princess would be a little sore that she isn't able to rule her own kingdom, so she won't want to live in the Fire Nation; the Earth Kingdom would be sore to her, so that's out of the question; and do I really have to say why not the Water Tribe or Air Temples?" Barkarot looked to Agni and Whis._

_"It doesn't matter, so long as a descendant of theirs takes the thrown," Agni replied._

_"Hmm, Gohan sure is a rare kind of person. Not many people would have forgiven Azula," Whis acknowledged._

_Goku just smiled fondly down at his son. "I'm glad that he's made some great friends. I can tell that he cherishes them."_

_Barkarot nodded in agreement. "Chip off the block, eh?"_

_Whis turned his head away for a moment. Something seemed to be amiss. 'Lord Bills?' he suddenly thought. 'Has he awoken already? Maybe I shou- no, he'll be fine for the time being.'_

If only he knew…

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Have a great day, enjoy your holidays. Though, I guess saying this is redundant since I'll post two more chapters before holidays end. What a drag.<strong>


	25. Chapter 25: Xenoverse news

Standing atop a cliff with the wind blowing his hair towards the south, Gohan looked down at a beautiful forest that surrounded a a plain on three sides and had a crystal clear lake at the fourth side.

He was up twenty five meters, facing west.

It was beautiful. But behind it, was an open plain that about two dozen acres. It was possibly more, but that's as far as he could see from this height.

There were animals here and there, grazing about. To be honest, he had a thought or two mingling in his mind about this, but he put those aside for now as he leapt into the air, soaring over the trees and into the plain.

'_This is nice land_,' he thought, digging an eight-inch hole into the ground every few yards, checking the structure of the soil- tilth- the compaction, and so forth. '_This soil must be good,_' he thought.

He was no farmer, but he knew a lot from books back home. So it couldn't be too hard, could it?

'_Vegetables, lots of vegetables.'_ He nodded, closing his eyes.

He could picture something great being right here. Something more than just about anything around.

Before he could think any further, he felt the tell-tale sensation that was Azula's energy rising, signaling her wake up. A quick look back showed him that the sun was, indeed, rising.

A silent sigh escaped his mouth before he jumped from his position down below and onto the cliff once again.

She had slept far longer than he, having went to sleep before him and woke up after him. He partially blamed himself. She was probably mentally exhausted from the information overload that he gave her the other day.

She accepted it all with wide eyes, and just sat there for the longest of time just staring at him. She was speechless then.

Now she was staring at him again, wide-eyed and mystified.

"Good Morning, Azula." He smiled for her before staring up at the sky.

"Gohan," she blinked, her eyes adjusting to the unfamiliar scenery. "Where are we?" she asked.

"This area I just found, far from all civilizations," he told her.

"What are we doing here?" she asked.

"Nothing. It's just a place to rest for the time being."

Azula said nothing as she looked out at the land.

He let her take in the scenery. He knew that some people could take a bit longer to get the cogs turning in the morning.

"So," he began after a while. "I wanted to discuss with you any plans for the future." Yeah, it seems as though he was just going to accept this all.

She turned towards him.

"We can either go to the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom, or the Water Tribe," he said. "But none of the major cities, you know. So it bubbles down to what village you prefer in any of these nations."

She paused before she replied. "I don't want to be in the Earth Kingdom or Water Tribe," she said.

_'As I thought,_' he thought. "Where do you suppose we go, then?" he asked.

Azula paused for a moment, unsure herself. Where would they go? She couldn't picture herself as a vagabond, traveling the nations as she saw fit. She couldn't picture herself doing what the Avatar and his friends do.

She grew up in a palace with all the luxuries she could ask for, a street travelers life wasn't appealing to her in the least bit. But could she do it? Would that be what she deserves? To be reduced to living like a commoner?

Then she had a brief moment of recollection. "Do… you remember Ember Island?" she asked. He nodded. "We can stay there for now."

"Sounds good to me," he nodded in agreement. "If we change our appearance a little, we can blend in perfectly." He looked back at the land before him.

"Last time we were there, nobody recognized us," she told him. "Why would he have to change the way we appear?"

"It's just a feeling," he admitted. "Do you mind if your hair looks a little different?" he asked.

"No," she answered.

"Great," he smiled. "Now, if only I had some scissors…"

* * *

><p>"Alright, the right time is near, everyone," The God of Destruction called out to his underlings. "Be sure to rest up, I want a good show."<p>

They were all in the same room, not permitted to go anywhere else. But they were scattered evenly.

_'I'll give you a show. Then I will show you your death.' _This thought was shared mostly amongst those gathered.

"There are some last minute rule changes, though," Bills continued, surprising them. "I want this to be entertaining. So I will limit you to only being able to fight right next to a big city."

"It would be amusing to see him trying his hardest not to let the earthlings die," one of the figures said, turning to the weakest of the group. "Perhaps you two can provide an incentive for the boy by doing what you do best."

"What's that supposed to mean?" The taller of the two demanded angrily.

"Let's be honest. The two of you have power that was eclipsed years ago. You'd be lucky to get Son Gohan to even humor you," the figure said, turning away from the weaklings. "I am undoubtably the strongest here. I will be the one to kill him. The rest of you can serve as distractions."

"That's where you are wrong," Bojack replied. "I will kill the boy, you can be a distraction."

"You impudent little- he only defeated me because of Vegeta attacking me while I was occupied."

"Heh, the only one that could harm me was the boy. He got me with a cheap shot- he hit me jewels when I went to check if he was dead!" Bojack lied. What? Pirates can lie!

"Such a weakness does not befall a perfect being such as myself," Cell rebutted. "But I know of a better way to settle this." The bio-android dropped into a stance."If I kill you, I fight the Saiyan. If you- well, you get the point."

"Cell is the strongest amongst you, killing each other will be useless and it would annoy me," Bills butted in.

Bojack frowned as he uncrossed his arms. He was ready to PROVE that he was stronger, but he couldn't really dispute the words of this being that brought him back to life.

"Anyways, working together will be far more sufficient," Bills continued, not understanding why they don't team up on the Saiyan. "The planning you were doing was the most logical course to go."

Five of the six looked amongst each other. Then nodded slowly.

"Very well. Like I was saying before, the rest of you can serve as distractions as I fight the boy. He will fight harder if his friends are in danger," Cell began. "You two will terrorize the city." Cell pointed to the weaklings. "You three can do whatever." He pointed to the other three. "Actually, I'll even give you a chance to fight Gohan."

The God just lazily watched from above as bickering ensued.

* * *

><p>Gohan's eyes wandered over to Azula every few seconds, making sure she was fine. It was still a little startling to see her with shorter hair. It went down to her shoulders with little, short bangs. But it's not like it wouldn't grow back. This was just for the time being so they could blend in.<p>

His hair looked very much similar to the time he went to Namek. He could have chose any of his past hair styles, but this one was the most different.

They had to stop and grab some new clothes to better fit in. Nothing a few silver coins couldn't attain. He didn't usually carry money himself as of late, but he had put some - that would've surely been left behind - in his pockets, making sure they were kept.

She was holding onto his neck, burying her face into his shoulder like her life depended on it. It was almost displeasing, but he just told himself that she wasn't used to doing this. He briefly wondered if his father went through this with his mother. The dense Kid Goku and young Chi-Chi… .

If it wasn't guessed already, they were on the Nimbus cloud. He had one arm around her and the other securing her legs over his lap. It was slightly awkward at first, but he got over it. He supposed that it would just be another thing he would just have to deal with.

She wanted to go for a ride on the Nimbus cloud opposed to him just carrying her there via himself but had felt a little disheartened when the cloud wouldn't carry her.

Though that was remedied by him offering to carry her on the cloud. Her eyes showed a little excitement at the prospect of that, but now…

"You will never be able to enjoy the view with your eyes closed," he said, making her look at him funny.

"I find it hard to enjoy anything moving at this speed," she frowned lightly. "It's all just a blur," she said.

Slowly, the speed Nimbus was flying at reduced greatly.

"There, does that help?" Gohan looked back to her.

"Yes, it does," she answered, actually taking in the scenery around her. She positioned herself so that she could see the landscape, twisting her entire body around.

Truthfully, she didn't really think much about the beauty of the world. Though, she was able to spot certain things that, in her opinion, were beautiful. She supposed that was due the fact that she no longer wanted to burn everything to a crisp.

Huh, funny how that worked out. And it was all to do with the boy whose lap she was sitting in. She spared him a glance with a small smile.

Gohan's thoughts trailed elsewhere, seemingly unfazed by Azula's change in position.

_'She seems fine,'_ he thought. _'I can tell that she's having a little trouble completely accepting this, but is okay nonetheless._' He looked ahead, eyes taking in everything before him.

This day marked the day that would set the rest of his life in motion. A complicated life that would only

get more so until the _bitter, bitter_ end.

But that was much later. He had no worries, he hoped, for the rest of his days. That's why he and Azula were soon to be standing outside a familiar building.

* * *

><p>Sokka was once a simple guy. He used to do everything verbatim everyday to the way he saw fit. Back when there was no Avatar, no alien hybrids from a different earth, and no god watching him whenever he hung out with his friend. Of course, everything changed when said alien hybrid came into his life.<p>

Now he was fit- not that he wasn't before, just not to the extent that he was now- a near master of his Space Sword, and a soon to be representative of the Southern Water Tribe.

Well, that last one only if Aang kicks the Fire Lord's butt and brings the world to peace. Sokka figured that if Gohan was right, he would most likely be sent to other nations for various reasons as a Liaison, what with him being the son of the Southern Water Tribe's Chief and all.

From time to time, he couldn't help but allow a satisfied smile to grace his lips. With the war coming to a close, and his girlfriend by his side, he felt content. So it was understandable to reason that not much gets under his skin these days.

Well, that is until…

He stood with his chin four inches from the floor at the sight of Gohan and Azula standing a few yards away from them.

It wasn't the fact that they were wearing Fire Nation clothes or the fact that Azula somehow survived falling to her death, it was the awkward smile and wave she gave everyone as Gohan introduced her.

Now, he could understand Zuko changing his life style to become a part of the Gang, but Azula? The psycho blue-fire lady? Fat chance!

And others shared his sentiments exactly. Looking to Suki, she had an instant look of mistrust on her face. Aang was quietly assessing the situation, seeming to be a little too calm. Toph had just scoffed and looked away, so Sokka wasn't exactly sure where she stood on this.

Katara… Katara was a completely different story. If looks could kill or at least maim, Azula would be missing a leg or arm.

"Gohan, what was that?" Sokka asked. "I don't think I heard you right."

Gohan nudged Azula forward, encouraging her to start.

She looked from each eye, taking in the variety of emotions, lingering on Zuko's disbelieving gaze before starting.

"I know that I have done horrible things before, and… I know that no amount of words can show how much I regret what I did. So I won't apologize, I'll show you that I have changed through my actions." She looked back to Zuko, who still had an astonished look on his face. "But I'm not here to become a member of your group, I'm here for Gohan. I won't get in your way or anything like that."

The short and simple declaration seemed to stir up quite the lot of mix of emotions.

"Gohan." Aang looked to the Saiyan. "Is what she says true?" he asked.

"Yeah." Gohan nodded. "And I know what you must be thinking… I'm either being bias or brainwashed, and the former may be a little true, but I can swear that she's changed for the better."

Sokka took a look at Azula, leveling her with an odd look, then he turned to his oldest friend. "I guess… but you better not disappear and just come back with the Fire Lord!" He made the I'm watching you gesture to the two of them before taking couple of steps back.

"I wouldn't dream of it." The Saiyan waved. "The guy's a real monster." He shared a look with Zuko, who nodded slowly.

Katara, for once, didn't voice her opinion. Instead, she settled for simply glaring at the sand below her.

Toph simply shrugged. Even though she was blind, she somehow foresaw this situation, even when the others said Azula fell to her death. When Gohan was said to be gone, she knew he had done something with his crazy powers.

There was a tense moment of silence, followed by Katara leaving immediately.

A pregnant pause.

"How did Azula survive that fall?" Zuko asked abruptly.

"I just caught her." Gohan shrugged.

"He can fly," Azula supplied helpfully.

Gohan almost smirked. "I moved faster than what you guys can track. After that… I took her someplace and we talked. A little later, I convinced her to start over, to just forget the past." Gohan gestured around.

"Where have you been all this time?" Toph asked.

"It's been only a day… but after flying around for a while, I let her sleep at this clearing, and when she woke up, we came here," he summed up as he looked back to Aang. "Aang, I promised you I'd teach you how to defend himself." Gohan nodded.

Aang nodded, stepping a bit closer. "Zuko says my fire packs more than enough punch, and that my control is great. He says I'll be fine when it comes to my Firebending."

"He will be fine, just some small refinement, but he'll be fine," Zuko trailed off, still a little shocked over his sister being alive. He shot a few glances towards her just to make sure he wasn't losing it.

"Okay, so let's get to work," Gohan said, pumping a fist at his side.

* * *

><p>"Let's… take a break," Aang suggested, arms slumping at his side.<p>

"Eh, why not," Gohan agreed, letting Aang flop to the ground. "I can see that you are quickly grasping the concept behind the defensive Crane-Style."

Aang gave a miserable laugh. But even though he was exhausted, he was glad the Saiyan was pushing him so hard. It has been two days since they started, and Aang really got the hang of it all.

If he kept at it, he knew he would achieve the results he desired.

Staring up at the cloudless sky, he decided that he now had a second goal to strive for.

Gohan, on the other hand, was just trying to figure out what he was going to do with his life. For the first time, he plotted out his entire life- we, what could become of the rest of his life, to be exact.

Thinking about it only made him miss his home. Maybe when he died as and old man, maybe the Gods would be kind enough to let him rest eternally in the Otherworld.

He frowned. That line of thinking got him nowhere. His thoughts then trailed back to the massive land he discovered the other day.

The possibilities were vast. All he could do… almost anything.

That brought a smile to his face. But he was getting ahead of himself. He needed builders first, farmers, etc., but he could also just learn from those people and replicate their teachings.

Ah, but he was getting ahead of himself again.

Shaking his head, he we looked over his shoulder and saw Azula just sitting on the steps and watching him instruct Aang.

She smiled briefly, prompting him into waving at her.

"Okay, Sensei… I'm ready," Aang announced, standing up once more.

* * *

><p>Getting up was slightly easier the next day. Something didn't feel right with him. No, everything was right. He felt different, but in a good way- better. He felt like he was touched by something- like something warm was wrapped around him.<p>

He could stretch his senses to the max and feel something strange just at the edge. It was good.

He knew what it was. The comet- Sozin's Comet.

After his morning ritual, he got up to look around the base- home. He found Zuko sitting at a table.

"Morning," Zuko greeted.

"Good morning," Gohan replied.

"You're up early," Zuko pointed out.

"I sometimes wake up before the sun rises," Gohan said. "But what about you?"

"I know that I shouldn't feel this way, but I can't help but think disaster is waiting for us on the day of the comet," Zuko said. "You've got your powers back, so I shouldn't have anything to worry about, but…"

Gohan's eyes looked away from Zuko. "I can't say that I share this feeling of yours, I actually feel great about everything."

Zuko closed his eyes in silent thinking. "On the day of the comet, the Firebenders will become tremendously stronger. Do you think Aang will be able to defeat the Fire Lord?" he asked.

"Aang's got this," Gohan said. "He might actually be over prepared. He's taken to defensive training like a sponge. It might have something to do with his Airbender lineage." He shrugged.

Zuko grunted in acknowledgment. "But that doesn't mean the Fire Lord-"

"The Fire Lord is still a threat, but they'll pretty much be on even grounds," Gohan pointed out.

Zuko grunted in acknowledgement. "Okay, I guess you're right," he conceded.

"Now, let's just enjoy these last two days," Gohan suggested. "Everyone will be busy after Aang beats Ozai, so we have to rest up."

Zuko turned to stare at a wall. After a few moments of silence, he spoke up again. "Do… do you think you can find my uncle?" he asked.

Gohan didn't answer for a while, jumping into intense concentration to find Iroh.

Stronger than average Firebender…

High life energy…

Calm feelings…

Narrowing it down, he was quick to find the man in the Earth Kingdom.

"He's in the Earth Kingdom, between Ba Sing Se and Omashu," Gohan answered. "There's a large gathering of people near him, so it wouldn't be hard to find them if you took Appa."

Zuko nodded, saving this bit of information for later. Maybe he would be taking the bison for a personal trip.

"If you go, maybe you should take Azula with you," Gohan suggested.

Zuko looked away for a moment, unsure of that. He hasn't spoken to her at all since he found out she was alive.

He thought about how easy it was to get over her "death". That was back when he didn't believe she'd ever change. But now? Now that he knew she could be a better person, he felt awful for casting her away like scum.

"Yeah, I think that'll be good," the Prince said after another moment.

And just like that, the complete Gaang -plus on- was back in motion. Sorta. They were kinda back in motion.

Katara was cold, extremely cold towards Azula was stiffly with Gohan. The Saiyan found this very odd but didn't voice his thoughts or concerns.

His thoughts troubled him throughout the day- week, actually. He wondered if he should address the problem or not. Every other time he tried to strike up a conversation with her, she simply brushed his concerns off or switched the topic completely.

He was getting nowhere at all.

At least Azula was having better luck than he. Zuko took a sort of pleasure in reconciling with his sister. They spoke for hours the day she arrived.

Not everyone was friendly with Azula. Aang only gave the shortest of sentences to her, awkwardly trying to avoid direct confrontation with her. That lightning bolt really did hurt. Sokka and Suki were extremely weary of her, offering curt nods here and there. Only Toph actively talked to her, though, she seemed disinterested about it.

But back to his problem. It was the reason he was currently walking towards the beach.

The soft sand beneath his feet did not give away his arrival, but she somehow sensed his arrival and turned to face him. She had tears in her eyes.

Startled, he took a step forward to inspect the reason for those tears.

"What?" she asked, a sharpness to her voice he wasn't used to being directed at him. In fact, he was so perturbed by this that he took a quick glance behind to make sure he wasn't the one she was addressing.

"Er, I just wanted to make sure you were alright," Gohan said at length.

He remembered now. This had happened three times before. Twice back at the Southern Water Tribe, and once while traveling.

'This must be… the time of the month. It'll be best if I go back to bed,' he thought cautiously. 'But there's something bothering her.'

The silence that followed was curious, only made even more so when she bit her lip to try and keep herself from blurting out what's been bugging her.

Finally, after nearly three minutes, she spoke, barely above a whisper, with her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Are you in love with her?" she asked.

It wouldn't take a genius to figure out what she meant, but the question confused him, but the look on her face told him to answer.

"It's complicated," he answered. "But I can see myself eventually… you know?" He shrugged. "I mean, if I have to live with her for the rest of my life, I'll have to eventually start to."

"So you're just going to accept what those so-called Gods laid out for you?!" Katara asked, almost furious. "You have your powers back, you can fight it!"

"I can't," he told her placatingly. "Who's to tell what would happen if I did. Besides, it could have been worse. I mean, sure, I would've liked to choose for myself, but it's not like Azula's horrible or anything." He shrugged.

Katara was furious. Furious at Gohan, furious at Azula, furious at the Gods!

It wasn't _fair_!

"You don't have to feel bad for me, Katara," Gohan told her. "I've had to deal with much worse."

"It's… not because I feel bad for you," she said. "It's because I-" she paused momentarily, cutting herself off. "It's because_ I _love you!"

Gohan blinked, shocked. He wasn't dense enough to not know what kind of love she meant. In hindsight, he could see all of the clues way back then.

"Katara, I…" he didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to think. What was he supposed to say without hurting her feelings?

She closed the distance between them, resting her hands on his arms.

He saw it coming a mile away. He was just too shocked to decline the sudden show of affection.

But his senses came smashing back to him, making him push her back gently. "Katara, I can't return your feelings," he told her. "But I do love you. As one of my closest friends."

He watched as a tear trailed down her face. He moved to at least try and comfort her, but she just brushed past him without another word.

He frowned, watching her leave. If he wanted to, he could've caught up in the blink of an eye. But this was beyond even him.

_'She will… sort this out eventually,' _Gohan thought.

Gosh, he really missed the simpler times. Love. Really? They were still teenagers for crying out loud!

_'What did I get myself into?'_ He hung his head woefully.

After a few moments, he sighed and decided to get back to his room.

As he walked, he failed to notice Aang walking towards the beach he just left.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I decided to leave out an episode, just in case you were wondering. Originally, I was going to add the Ember Island Players, but decided against it.<strong>

**I know it's been a while, and I have the chapters of the stories ready, but then I got into One Piece… long story short, I got caught up watching that anime instead of editing the finished chapters.**

**Also, this is a minor thing, but I've been laying out the plots to a few other stories, and working on revamping the Fairy Saiyan. I feel like a rushed some things in that story, so I'll just restart that one.**

**Questions or concerns, just ask and I'll try my best to answer.**

**Anyways, I'll try not to get swallowed whole by everything I'm juggling and will definitely try updating quicker.**


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